Back on December 4, the Trump administration announced it had accomplished one of its primary law enforcement goals of the second term, arresting the alleged January 5 pipe bomber.
Federal officials took 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia, into custody and charged him with interstate transportation of explosives and with malicious attempt to use explosives. The Department of Justice subsequently added attempting to use weapons of mass destruction and terrorism charges. If convicted, Cole faces life in prison.
Cole, who has been in custody since his arrest and will be back in court for a status conference next month, is accused of planting pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night of January 5, 2021 – the night before the January 6 riot at the Capitol. According to the FBI, the bombs were viable but didn’t detonate.
The Investigation
The suspect managed to elude authorities for nearly five years despite the FBI releasing surveillance footage to the public. The footage showed a hooded individual sitting on a bench outside the DNC before placing the first bomb at 7:54pm and then walking to the RNC and dropping the second device at approximately 8:16pm.
Cole was not an obvious suspect. He lived with his mom, worked for his family’s business, had no prior criminal history, and his lawyers say he is autistic.
But the FBI and DOJ say the evidence against him is overwhelming – including alleged cell phone data showing he was near the HQs when the bombs were planted, a license plate reader in D.C. finding that his car passed through that night, and similar bomb-making components found in his home. They even say he confessed to the crime.
When FBI Director Kash Patel appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show the day after Cole’s arrest, he said he had no doubt the FBI arrested the right person.
Cole’s Attorney Speaks Out
However, there is someone who says Cole is not guilty and that is his lawyer Mario Williams. Williams says the FBI arrested the wrong person and, regardless of that, believes the case should be dismissed on the grounds of the pardon President Donald Trump issued for January 6 defendants.
He joined Megyn for an interview that aired on Tuesday’s show to discuss misconceptions about his client, whether the ‘bombs’ were operational, and why Cole should be covered by the president’s pardon. Keep scrolling for highlights of their discussion.
Were the ‘Bombs’ Actually ‘Props’?
Williams breaks down the facts of the case and the arrest of his client, whether the alleged ‘bombs’ were viable, the circumstances of the failed polygraph of another person of interest in the case, and more.
Did Cole Really Confess?
Williams fact-checks his client’s alleged “confession” during interrogations, the case against Cole, a possible plea deal, why it is notable that the government started referring to him as the “January 5th bomber,” and more.
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Williams by tuning in to episode 1,340 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.