DC pipe bomb suspect not covered by Trump Jan. 6 pardon: DOJ
Prosecutors say Brian Cole Jr.’s alleged pipe bomb plot was not tied to the Capitol riot and falls outside Trump’s pardons for about 1,500 rioters.
- In a Friday filing, the Justice Department urged the court to reject Brian Cole Jr.'s motion to dismiss, arguing that President Donald Trump's Jan. 20, 2025, pardon does not cover Cole's alleged Jan. 5, 2021, pipe bomb planting.
- Cole's defense team argues his charges are "inextricably and demonstrably tethered" to the Jan. 6, 2021, events, claiming they qualify for relief under Trump's pardon that granted immunity to around 1,500 individuals involved in the United States Capitol riot.
- During his FBI interview, Cole "expressly denied that his actions were directed toward the United States Congress," while prosecutors stated the proclamation limited relief to those with pending indictments or convictions for Jan. 6 offenses on Inauguration Day, 2025.
- The Department argued its interpretation of the executive proclamation is "entitled to deference as a reasonable interpretation" by the agency administering the order, with a status hearing scheduled for April 21.
- This legal challenge follows a filing from two weeks ago where federal prosecutors requested a contempt of court judgment against Cole's attorney for doxing a Capitol Police officer previously misidentified as a suspect.
5 Articles
5 Articles
Prosecutors Request Judge Deny Motion to Dismiss Case Against DC Pipe Bomb Suspect
The Department of Justice (DOJ) requested that a judge deny a motion to dismiss the case against a man accused of planting two pipe bombs in Washington on the night before protesters breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Court documents filed on April 10 revealed that prosecutors pushed back on claims that the suspect, Brian J. Cole Jr., should have his case tossed out because he was preemptively pardoned under President Donald Trump’s Jan.…
Alleged pipe bomber argues Trump's blanket J6 pardon also applies to him
The man accused of planting the pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6 is arguing in court that President Donald Trump's blanket pardon of MAGA rioters applies to him — but federal prosecutors disagree.According to Meidas Touch's Scott MacFarlane, prosecutors made a filing on Friday seeking the rejection of Brian Cole, Jr.'s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction."The defendant claims that …
DOJ argues in court that DC pipe bomb suspect is not covered by Trump's Jan. 6 pardon proclamation
Lawyers for the defendant, Brian Cole Jr., filed a motion of dismissal arguing that he should be exempt from the charges based on President Trump’s pardons of some 1,500 people involved in the events at the Capitol.
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