Alleged Jan 6 pipe bomber said he did not target Congress’ Biden certification: DOJ
WASHINGTON, DC: The alleged January 6 pipe bomber, Brian Cole, told investigators in a lengthy confession that he did not intend to target Congress as it met to certify former President Joe Biden’s election victory.
Prosecutors say Cole made the statements during a multi-hour interview after his December 4 arrest, when authorities charged him with placing pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before the 2021 attack on the US Capitol. After initially denying any role, Cole later admitted to planting the devices, according to court filings.
Brian Cole reveals when he started to follow the news
Prosecutors say Brian Cole told investigators he was not very political, but after the 2020 election, he began following news on YouTube and Reddit and felt that 'something was wrong.'
He said many people felt ignored since they believed their votes didn’t matter. When investigators asked why he placed pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC, Cole said he did not like either political party.
He also told investigators that his interest in history, especially the conflict known as the 'Troubles in Ireland', inspired the idea to use pipe bombs. Cole denied targeting Congress or the election certification scheduled for January 6.
Cole also told investigators that he meant for the devices to explode and set 60-minute timers after placing them outside both party offices. He said that after planting the bombs, he returned to his car, stopped to get food at a restaurant in Virginia, and then went home.
Brian Cole did not intend to kill anyone, DOJ says
Court filings say Cole told investigators he did not think much about how people might react if the bombs exploded, but he hoped the incident would make the news.
He also admitted that he did not test the devices before placing them. The filing said, "He claimed that when he learned that the devices did not detonate, he was 'pretty relieved,' and asserted that he placed the devices at night because he did not want to kill people."
After the FBI released surveillance videos asking for help identifying him, Cole said he threw away all of his bomb-making materials at a nearby dump. He also told investigators that he never shared his actions with anyone in nearly five years after January 6. Prosecutors added that Cole appeared to erase data from his personal cellphone nearly 1,000 times over the years.
Prosecutors weigh in on Brian Cole’s ‘dangerous’ behavior
Prosecutors shared details of Cole’s confession in a court filing asking a judge to keep him in custody while he awaits trial. They said his actions and his decision to target both the Democratic and Republican party offices show how 'dangerous' his behavior was.
Prosecutors said, "In his own words, the defendant did so because he did not 'like either party,' but 'they were in charge' and thus were, in the defendant’s mind, an appropriate target for extreme acts of violence."
Prosecutors also said, "The defendant’s choice of targets risked the lives not only of innocent pedestrians and office workers but also of law enforcement, first responders, and national political leaders who were inside of the respective party headquarters or drove by them on January 6, 2021, including the Vice President-elect and Speaker of the House."
The government said the bombs failed to explode because of 'luck,' not because Cole lacked intent. Cole is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, December 30 at 1 pm for a detention hearing.
