Trump-voting DC pipe bomber’s lawyer claims 'sweeping pardon' of J6 rioters applies to him

The D.C. pipe bomb suspect, Brian Cole Jr., will pursue the legal strategy many expected and argue that President Donald Trump's sweeping pardon of all January 6 defendants applies to him as well, his attorney told Fox 5 News.

Cole's legal representative, Mario Williams, spoke out about his case for the first time in a "wide-ranging" interview with the local Washington D.C. news affiliate, for a piece published Monday evening. In it, Williams said that he "100 percent" believes Trump's January 6 pardon applies to his client and confirmed plans to present his argument to the court soon in a filing.

"For purposes of the pardon, I absolutely agree with it," Williams said. "I think you have to employ some kind of common sense as applied to the allegations. So, if the allegations are that he went out there and he set down these components and that they were found on Jan. 6, the judge says that it's a part of Jan. 6 and says that you were allowed to get a pardon for everything related to the events that occurred on or at the Capitol building on Jan. 6."

As Fox 5 News highlighted, the text of Trump's January 6 pardon is broad, stating that the president 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."

Cole was arrested in December following a multi-year investigation into two pipe bombs placed outside the Republican and Democratic National Committee buildings in D.C. on the eve of the January 6 Capitol riots, which were found before they were able to go off. Prosecutors claim that Cole confessed to placing the two bombs, explaining that he wanted them to detonate and that he "hoped there would be news about it."

Cole reportedly believed Trump's lie that the 2020 election had been stolen from him and targeted both parties over it because he said they were "in charge." Williams confirmed to Fox 5 News that Cole was a Trump supporter, having voted for him twice in the past. Prosecutors allege that Cole continued to buy materials for bombmaking after leaving the two pipe bombs in D.C. Cole has pleaded not guilty to charges of interstate transportation of explosives and malicious attempt to use explosives.