Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) claimed the FBI arrested the wrong person in the Jan. 6 pipe bomb case.
The Kentucky Republican and frequent foe of President Donald Trump claimed Friday afternoon on X that an FBI whistleblower approached him to claim that suspect Brian Cole Jr. couldn't possibly have planted pipe bombs in early 2021 at the headquarters for the Republican National Committee and the Democrat National Committee.
"This is the third disclosure I’ve received from current and former employees of the government regarding the pipe bomb case in recent weeks," Massie posted. "These brave moral people could lose their jobs and wreck their careers, but they care deeply for our country. So at the risk of editorializing, I will summarize what I learned from this newest disclosure in order not to disclose the identity of this whistleblower."
The 30-year-old Cole lives in a community where several employees of the FBI, Secret Service and police also reside, and the whistleblower said they must have seen him on one of his frequent walks around the area.
"He wanders around his neighborhood several times a day while walking a dog," Massie wrote. "Other than walking his dog, he doesn’t engage in any other activities outside his home. He does not interact with anyone. He doesn’t wave or acknowledge others or even say hello. He does not even look at other people when he walks by. He appears to live in his own world."
"He’s never been observed walking around in an angry or agitated state," Massie added. "His demeanor is detached and vacant."
Cole always wears headphone while walking around the neighborhood, the whistleblower told Massie, who speculated he wore those to drown out surrounding noise, and did not appear interested in anything happening around him.
"His behavior is awkward," Massie wrote. "It’s obvious he has a mental disability, and likely lives in a permanently vulnerable, intellectual, and emotional state. It’s well known that individuals with mental conditions are susceptible to providing inaccurate and unwarranted 'confessions.'"
"Based on the observations of several neighbors, the suspect does not appear to have the mental acumen to plan, prepare, and execute a complex bombing plot by himself," Massie added.
The FBI conducted a surveillance operation Nov. 13 on Cole's street that many readily noticed, Massie said, and the whistleblower raised questions about how his Dec. 4 arrest was carried out.
"Not only were neighbors not evacuated during the arrest and search of the alleged bomber’s home, they were required to remain in their homes," the congressman wrote. "If the suspect had in fact been engaged in making bombs and stockpiling bomb materials, the proper safety precautions were not taken."
"My personal conclusion: The FBI employee disclosing this information to me doesn’t believe the FBI has arrested a person who is capable or motivated, or even interested enough in affairs outside of his own small world, to execute the J6 pipe bomb plot on his own," Massie added.
