Report: DC Pipe Bomb Case Suspect Believed 2020 Election Was Stolen, FBI Says

Brian Cole, 30, who faces charges for allegedly planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., informed the FBI that he thought the 2020 presidential election had been stolen, according to a recent report.

Sources familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday that Cole questioned the validity of the 2020 election during his discussions with FBI agents. He was taken into custody on Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday for allegedly placing explosive devices near the Democratic and Republican National Committee offices the night before the January 2021 Capitol riot.

During extended questioning, Cole made multiple statements to investigators. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino acknowledged speaking with Cole but did not provide details of his remarks.

Some officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, have criticized the Justice Department and FBI under the Biden administration, claiming the case remained unresolved for years. Patel told Fox News that previous administrations did not act on the evidence, saying it remained unexamined for four years. Bondi added that the case "sat there for years collecting dust" without progress.

Patel explained that investigators eventually solved the case by analyzing existing data, including cell phone records and identifying unique shoes Cole was wearing. "We reviewed cell tower records and information from service providers under search warrants, asking why all numbers werent checked and why geo-location data wasnt analyzed," Patel said. "This indicates either incompetence or intentional negligence, neither of which is acceptable."

Author: Ethan Caldwell