Brian Cole Jr., who is accused of planting multiple pipe bombs around Washington, D.C., leading up to the January 6, 2021, insurrection, gave a stunning confession to law enforcement officials, according to new court documents.
The January 6 pipe bomber case has become a political flash point since photos of the individual first surfaced in 2021. Some lawmakers have called on law enforcement officials to investigate the case and bring everyone involved to justice. In contrast, others have alleged that the incidents were a "diversionary tactic" intended to divert resources from the Capitol that day.
According to a newly unsealed memorandum, federal prosecutors indicated that Cole "gave a detailed confession" to officers after he was arrested in early December. Cole discussed his political views and gave a shockingly candid answer about his motives.
"When the interviewing agents returned to the defendant’s motive, he explained that 'something just snapped' after 'watching everything, just everything getting worse,'" the document reads in part. "The defendant wanted to do something 'to the parties' because 'they were in charge.'"
Cole is accused of planting pipe bombs outside of the Democratic and Republican National Committees in D.C. During his interview, Cole said he attended the protest "in support of President Trump," although he stopped short of saying he is a MAGA fan.
“I didn’t agree with what people were doing, like just telling half the country that they – that their – that they just need to ignore it. I didn’t think that was a good idea, so I went to the protest," he said.
"When asked why he placed the devices at the RNC and DNC, the defendant responded, 'I really don’t like either party at this point,'" he continued. "The defendant also explained that the idea to use pipe bombs came from his interest in history, specifically the Troubles in Ireland. The defendant denied that his actions were directed toward Congress or related to the proceedings scheduled to take place on January 6."