Defense Says Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 Pardon Covers Jan. 5 Pipe Bomb Case
Brian J. Cole Jr.'s lawyers ask Judge Amir Ali to dismiss charges, arguing Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 pardon covers alleged Jan. 5 pipe bombs; the government is expected to challenge the motion.
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Daily BeastAccused Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber Demands Case Be Dropped Thanks to Trump’s Pardons
Overview
Cole's attorneys filed a motion in U.S. District Court asking Judge Amir Ali to dismiss charges, arguing President Trump's blanket Jan. 20, 2025 pardon covers Brian J. Cole Jr.'s alleged conduct.
They argued the pardon applies because the government ties Cole's alleged Jan. 5, 2021 conduct to the events at or near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court filings.
Former federal prosecutor Elie Honig called the defense argument a "Pandora's box," and a White House official said the bombs were placed on Jan. 5 and the pardon did not cover that scenario.
Cole, 30, was arrested on Dec. 4, 2025 and is accused of planting two improvised explosive devices outside the Republican and Democratic national committees that were disarmed about 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Amir Ali has not set a trial date, Cole's attorneys have appealed his pretrial detention, and the government is expected to challenge the defense motion.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story skeptically toward the pardon claim by emphasizing prosecutorial concerns and public-safety language while foregrounding countervailing context. Examples: repeated references to an FBI pushback and a retracted conservative report, the judge calling Cole a “potential danger,” and comparisons to other Jan. 6 defendants—while a defense autism claim appears late.
FAQ
The pardon grants a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to individuals convicted of offenses related to events at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and directs dismissal of related pending indictments.
Cole is accused of planting two improvised explosive devices outside the Republican and Democratic national committees on January 5, 2021, which were disarmed around 1 p.m. on January 6, 2021.
They argue the pardon covers Cole's alleged January 5, 2021 conduct because the government ties it to the events at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
A White House official stated the bombs were placed on January 5 and the pardon does not cover that scenario; the government is expected to challenge the defense motion.
Cole was arrested on December 4, 2025; his attorneys filed a motion to dismiss charges, appealed pretrial detention, and Judge Amir Ali has not set a trial date.
