DC pipe bomb suspect says someone needed to 'speak up' about stolen election claims

Federal prosecutors said Sunday the antheral accused of planting tube bombs successful Washington, D.C., connected Jan. 5, 2021, told investigators helium felt compelled to "speak up" for radical who believed the 2020 predetermination was stolen and said helium targeted the 2 large governmental parties due to the fact that they were successful complaint of the governmental system.

Prosecutors elaborate the allegations successful a memo filed with the Justice Department, arguing that Brian J. Cole Jr., arrested earlier this month, should stay detained arsenic the lawsuit moves forward.

Cole was arrested successful Woodbridge, Virginia, aft investigators identified him arsenic the fishy accused of placing tube bombs adjacent the Capitol analyzable and extracurricular the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters, marking the archetypal large interruption successful a lawsuit that had gone acold for years.

Sunday’s memo provides the astir elaborate authorities relationship to date, including statements prosecutors accidental Cole made to investigators. It besides cites grounds specified arsenic bomb-making materials recovered from his location aft his arrest, which officials accidental nexus him to the crime.

EVIDENCE AGAINST J6 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT WAS JUST ‘SITTING THERE' FOR YEARS, DOJ SAYS

Brian J. Cole Jr., the DC tube weaponry suspect, made his archetypal tribunal quality connected Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Dana Verkouteren)

Undetonated homemade bombs were discovered Jan. 6, though prosecutors said Cole denied his actions were connected to the events astatine the Capitol that day.

Although helium initially denied involvement, prosecutors allege Cole aboriginal confessed to placing the devices extracurricular the RNC and DNC.

Cole besides allegedly said helium was disillusioned by the predetermination result and sympathetic to claims by President Donald Trump and immoderate allies that it had been stolen.

FBI RELEASES NEW SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF SUSPECT WHO PLACED PIPE BOMBS NEAR DNC, RNC OFFICES IN DC

The Department of Justice releases caller photos of Brian J. Cole, who was arrested by the FBI for alleged engagement successful the D.C. tube weaponry incident. (Department of Justice)

"In the defendant’s view, if radical ‘feel that, you know, thing arsenic important arsenic voting successful the national predetermination is being tampered with, is being, you know, being – you know, relegated null and void, then, like, idiosyncratic needs to talk up, right? Someone up top. You know, conscionable to, conscionable to astatine the precise slightest calm things down,’" prosecutors wrote.

They added that erstwhile agents returned to questions astir his motive, Cole explained that "something conscionable snapped" aft "watching everything, conscionable everything getting worse."

The fishy is seen walking extracurricular the Democratic National Committee office moments earlier placing 1 of 2 tube bombs discovered adjacent enactment offices successful Washington, D.C. (FBI)

"The suspect wanted to bash thing ‘to the parties’ due to the fact that ‘they were successful charge,’" prosecutors wrote. "When asked wherefore helium placed the devices astatine the RNC and DNC, the suspect responded, ‘I truly don’t similar either enactment astatine this point.’"

Prosecutors said Cole besides told investigators the thought to usage tube bombs stemmed from his involvement successful the humanities struggle successful Northern Ireland.

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Cole’s attorneys are expected to reason against his detention astatine a proceeding scheduled for Tuesday successful national tribunal successful Washington.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.