Overview
- U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali denied a defense motion to dismiss on pardon grounds on Monday, finding the pardon language applies to people convicted of Jan. 6-related offenses at the time the proclamation was issued.
- Brian Cole Jr. is accused of placing two viable pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021, and the devices were found the next day and did not explode.
- Cole was arrested in December 2025 and initially charged with interstate transportation of explosives and related counts before prosecutors added terrorism and weapons-of-mass-destruction charges in April 2026.
- Prosecutors say their case relies on a post-arrest confession plus cellphone records, surveillance footage time stamps, and purchase records linking Cole to the devices.
- Cole has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court for a status hearing with no trial date set, and the ruling underscores how the timing and exact wording of presidential pardons can limit their reach in other Jan. 6 prosecutions.