Alleged Capitol Hill pipe bomber argues charges should be tossed out under Trump pardons [View all]

Source: CBS News

Updated on: March 16, 2026 / 11:33 PM EDT


A man who was accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6 attack in 2021 is asking a judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him, arguing he is covered by President Trump's sweeping pardons of alleged Jan. 6 rioters.

Monday's motion from lawyers for Brian Cole Jr. marks the latest twist in a case that remained unsolved for years — and the latest test of how extensively the Jan. 6 pardons could apply. His attorneys argued that the charges against Cole, who has pleaded not guilty, are "inextricably and demonstrably tethered" to the events of Jan. 6.

They pointed to filings by prosecutors that say Cole told the FBI he had traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a 2020 election-related protest, which suggests he was part of "the same political controversy that animated the January 6 crowd." And they note that, even though the bombs were allegedly planted on Jan. 5, they were discovered on the following afternoon.

"The Pardon—like it or not—applies to Mr. Cole, based on the ordinary and plain meaning of the Pardon's language as applied to the relevant facts in this case," Cole's lawyers wrote.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alleged-pipe-bomber-trumps-jan-6-pardons-brian-cole/