Federal judge rules Trump's January 6 pardons exclude the alleged DC pipe bomber
Brian Cole Jr. was charged nearly a year after Trump's clemency proclamation
Investigators linked Cole to the RNC and DNC pipe bomb locations
The ruling keeps federal charges against the January 2021 bombing suspect active
A federal judge on Monday ruled that President Donald Trump's blanket pardons for individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol do not apply to the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters the previous evening.
US District Judge Amir Ali rejected arguments from defense attorneys for Brian Cole Jr, who was charged in December 2025 with transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices outside the party headquarters on January 5, 2021, that his actions were covered by Trump's clemency grant.
"Even assuming that the conduct Cole is charged with is 'related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,' the pardon is expressly limited to people who had been 'convicted of offenses' related to those events," Ali wrote in his order. "Cole had not been convicted of the conduct at issue when the President issued the pardon; indeed, he was not charged until many months after the President's proclamation."
Pardon's Scope and Timing
Trump's proclamation, issued on January 20, 2025, granted "a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021," and directed the attorney general to pursue the dismissal of all pending indictments against individuals for their conduct related to those events.
Cole's defense argued that the president's directive to dismiss pending indictments should apply to his case. But the judge rejected that interpretation, noting that Cole was not charged until December 2025 – nearly a year after the proclamation. "Cole does not try to explain how a pardon for 'individuals convicted of offenses' applies to him," Ali wrote.
The Pipe Bomb Case
Cole, 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was arrested in December 2025 and charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce with intent to kill, injure, or intimidate, and with attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials. The charges stem from allegations that he built, transported, and tried to detonate two pipe bombs near the DNC and RNC headquarters on the evening of January 5, 2021.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement discovered the first IED near the RNC headquarters at approximately 1 pm on January 6, 2021, followed by a second device near the DNC headquarters about 15 minutes later. Neither device detonated, and US Capitol Police were able to render them safe.
The investigation, which lasted nearly five years, involved the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. FBI Director Kash Patel said at the time of Cole's arrest: "Although almost five years have passed, this shows the FBI will never rest in bringing justice to those who endanger American lives and our communities".
According to the government's proffer, cellphone records showed Cole's phone interacted with five different cell towers in the vicinity of the DNC and RNC headquarters during the window when the devices were placed on January 5, 2021. A license plate reader also recorded Cole's vehicle in the area around 7:10 PM that evening.
Cole has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a status conference.
