The man accused of planting pipe bombs at the Republican and Democratic national committees the day before the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol building is arguing that President Donald Trump’s pardons cover his alleged crimes.
Brian J. Cole Jr.’s attorneys filed a motion asking the court to dismiss all charges against him for lack of jurisdiction, arguing that the pardon’s plain language and prior court interpretations clearly apply to offenses “related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
Shortly after taking office for his second term, Trump issued a pardon for those convicted for offenses related to the riot at the Capitol building.
The filing points to the government’s description of the “J6 Pipe Bomber” allegations, noting that investigators found the explosive devices on Jan. 6 and that congressional reports and law enforcement officials have treated the planting of the bombs as key factors contributing to the Capitol security crisis on that day.
Cole’s lawyers then refer to parts of Trump’s presidential pardon proclamation and notes that it both commuted the sentences of specific J6 defendants and “grant[ed] a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021” and directed the Justice Department “to pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to the events at or near the United States Capitol.”
Suspected DC Pipe Bomber Heads to Detention Hearing After Alleged Confession
— Washington Eye (@washington_EY) December 31, 2025
Defense lawyers for Brian Cole push for his release ahead of trial, despite prosecutors citing a detailed admission tied to the 2021 attacks #WashingtonEye pic.twitter.com/6RoYylr9Kn
Lastly, the motion contends that prior applications of the pardon show that Cole should also be covered. It pointed to David Dempsey, who the government described as “one of the most violent” still received “a full, complete, and unconditional pardon from the President.”
It also brought up the case of Kenneth Harrelson, whose sentence for transporting firearms and ammunition between January 1 and 5, 2021, was commuted because it was related to the riot. Cole’s lawyers point out that the defendant “caused zero harm to anyone, and has zero history of violence” and that “the devices in question could never have exploded.”
NEW: Defense for Jan 6 pipe bomb defendant Brian Cole files 23-page motion arguing Cole should be covered by Trump's sweeping Jan 6 pardon
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) March 16, 2026
Filing: "Cole’s conduct is so inextricably and demonstrably tethered to the events at or near the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021 that he must be…
Federal authorities arrested Cole, 30, on December 4, 2025, and charged him with transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices outside the Republican and Democratic national committees. This came after a yearslong investigation in which investigators reviewed about 39,000 video files and interviewed over 1,000 people.
The Justice Department said the authorities found surveillance video and license plate reader data showing Cole’s vehicle near the area. Cell phone records showed his phone near both committees during the time the bombs were planted.