Overview
- A federal grand jury in Washington returned a superseding indictment Wednesday that adds attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and an armed terrorism count.
- Cole is accused of planting two viable but undetonated pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC on Jan. 5, 2021, and he was arrested in December after a nearly five-year investigation.
- Prosecutors say he described how he built, transported, and planted the devices during a post-arrest interview, and investigators cite surveillance video, cellphone location data, and purchase records.
- He has pleaded not guilty to earlier charges, remains detained, and is expected to be arraigned on the new counts, with a status hearing set for April 21.
- His lawyers seek dismissal under Trump's 2025 clemency order, which DOJ says does not cover him, a fight unfolding as some outlets note the department is moving to vacate certain Jan. 6 sedition convictions.