Brian Cole Jr., the man who allegedly planted pipe bombs in Washington before the events of Jan. 6, 2021, is facing two new charges related to terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

The new charges were disclosed in a superseding indictment that U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro filed on April 14 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Cole, who is awaiting trial from jail, was initially indicted on charges of knowingly transporting two pipe bombs and a malicious attempt to damage or destroy by fire or explosives.

Authorities said video footage and cellphone data indicated that Cole planted two improvised explosive devices on Jan. 5, 2021, at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee in the nation’s capital. The bombs did not detonate.

The new charges approved by the grand jury are attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and committing an act of terrorism while armed. If convicted, Cole could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

The first new charge is that Cole allegedly knowingly “used and attempted to use a weapon of mass destruction” against “persons and property,” including the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters.

The second new charge is that Cole allegedly “maliciously attempted to burn, destroy, and injure another’s property … with the intent to influence the policy and conduct of a unit of government by intimidation and coercion and with the intent to intimidate and coerce a significant portion of the civilian population of the United States and the District of Columbia.”

In a motion filed on March 16, Cole’s attorneys argued that their client was covered by President Donald Trump’s blanket clemency of Jan. 6 suspects.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump issued a proclamation pardoning approximately 1,500 people charged with offenses related to the civil disorder around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, while Congress was attempting to certify the 2020 presidential election.

Attorneys said in the motion that the felony charges Cole was facing for allegedly transporting and using explosives should be thrown out because Trump gave clemency to anyone convicted of or charged with crimes “related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”

“Applying governing law to the plain, unambiguous language of … President Trump’s pardon demonstrates that the pardon applies to Mr. Cole because his alleged conduct is inextricably tethered to the events at or near the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” the motion reads.

“The pardon—like it or not—applies to Mr. Cole, based on the ordinary and plain meaning of the pardon’s language as applied to the relevant facts in this case,” the attorneys said as they asked the court to dismiss the charges then pending against their client.

The lawyers said some individuals covered by Trump’s sweeping clemency were indicted for doing things before Jan. 6, 2021, that are thought to have contributed to violence that day.

For example, Kenneth Harrelson was accused of stockpiling and transporting firearms and ammunition for potential use against U.S. citizens from Jan. 1, 2021, to Jan. 5, 2021, “despite said conduct occurring prior to Jan. 6, 2021.”

In May 2023, Harrelson received a sentence of four years of incarceration and two years of supervised release after being convicted of obstructing an official proceeding, conspiring to prevent an officer from discharging duties, and tampering with proceedings or documents.

The motion states that if Harrelson received a commuted sentence for transporting firearms and ammunition to be used against the government, the government “seems to be wasting … time trying to convict Mr. Cole” for allegedly transporting prohibited materials to the Washington area.

The Department of Justice said in an April 10 filing that Cole’s actions were not covered by Trump’s clemency proclamation.

“The defendant ignores that the proclamation expressly limited relief to individuals who had been ‘convicted of,’ or had a ‘pending indictment’ for, offenses related to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6,” the filing reads.

On the date of the proclamation, it states, “the defendant belonged to neither category, and so the proclamation has no bearing on this case.”

“And even if the proclamation somehow could apply to this case, the Department of Justice’s contrary position is entitled to deference as a reasonable interpretation taken by the Executive Branch agency expressly charged with administering the proclamation,” the filing states.

At the time of the proclamation, it states, law enforcement had not yet identified Cole, “much less charged or convicted him, and the pipe bombs investigation proceeded unabated.”

Cole’s attorneys and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.

This article by Matthew Vadum appeared April 15, 2026, in The Epoch Times.