Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie called on the judge presiding over the Jan. 6 homemade bombing case to release the alleged gunman on Tuesday.
Massey called Brian Cole Jr. released, arguing that the evidence against him was weak, that he had no prior criminal record and that he did not pose a threat to public safety. The congressman also said that the US Department of Justice (DOJ) “failed its legal work” in the case.
“A judge should release Brian Cole Jr., the autistic suspect in the J6 improvised explosive device bombing,” Massey wrote. “No compelling motive, poses no danger to anyone, unreliable evidence, no prior, desire to wear tracker under house arrest, family will vouch, and Ministry of Justice failed legal work. Otherwise, irreparable harm will be caused to him.”
A judge must release Brian Cole Jr., the autistic suspect in the J6 improvised explosive device bombing.
No credible motive, poses no danger to anyone, unreliable evidence, no prior events, willing to wear tracker while under house arrest, family will vouch, and DOJ failed the legal job.
Otherwise, irreparable harm will be caused to him. https://t.co/JWxqKXLgtz
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 6, 2026
Massey was responding to an X-post by The Blaze reporter Joe Hanneman that included a link to emergency motion for review presented by Cole's lawyer Alex Little on Tuesday, the fifth anniversary of January 6th. (RELATED: 'Something Just Clicked': Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Jr.'s Confession Revealed in Court Documents)
Little demanded Cole's immediate release, claiming there was no preliminary hearing and no valid indictment, and stated that “his continued detention is illegal.”
Ministry of Justice announced December 4th Cole was arrested on charges for transporting an explosive device and attempting malicious destruction using explosives. He allegedly began purchasing bomb-making materials in 2019 and 2020. said He “simply criticized” investigators and wanted to punish both major political parties, according to a Dec. 28 statement. filing a lawsuit. He also allegedly claimed to have been inspired by “The Troubles”, the long-running ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland.
Prosecutors accused Cole in an unsealed federal complaint of transporting and planting two improvised explosive devices near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC) in Washington on January 5, 2021, the eve of the Capitol riot. according to to the Ministry of Justice.
The discovery of Brian J. Cole Jr.'s Level 1 autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder will change everything about the prosecution of pipe bombs. https://t.co/JCgutaqyJF pic.twitter.com/y49Jz7Ct1i
— Joe Hanneman 🇺🇸 (@HanneBlaze64) January 3, 2026
The homemade bombs were later found and defused but did not explode, officials said. Federal prosecutors said Cole admitted to committing the attacks. (RELATED: 'Something Just Clicked': Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Jr.'s Confession Revealed in Court Documents)
“Defendant cannot rebut the statutory presumption of custody given the extreme and extremely serious nature of his crimes, the overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the years he has spent deceiving others to avoid responsibility, and the intolerable risk that he will again resort to violence to vent his frustrations with the world around him,” prosecutors said in the lawsuit. “The facts and circumstances in this case suggest that there is no condition or combination of conditions that could reasonably guarantee the safety of the public if the defendant were released pending trial.”
The defense of homemade bomb suspect Brian Cole Jr. argues that the Justice Department made three fundamental mistakes in opposing an emergency review of pretrial detention. Latest US District Court filings: https://t.co/fI6V1TMMOa pic.twitter.com/q4pVXg8gM4
— Joe Hanneman 🇺🇸 (@HanneBlaze64) January 6, 2026
Law enforcement officers found explosives on the same day from riot participants stormed the US Capitol to protest the certification of former President Joe Biden's election victory, adding to the political chaos engulfing the country. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) series agents And confidential human sources were also near the Capitol, documents released over the years showed.
Massey previously pressed Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Benny Thompson about the investigation into pipe bombs and the removal of Secret Service texts related to the Jan. 6 events. He focused on the bombs found at the Democratic National Committee and the RNC, questioning why the committee did not conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. (RELATED: Chairman of Thomas Massey Grylls J6 Committee Inquiry into Pipe Bomb Explosion, Secret Service Cleaning of Phones)
Massie also asked Thompson about the whereabouts of former Vice President Kamala Harris, noting that she was at the Democratic National Committee when the bombs were discovered.
He said there were delays in the Secret Service's response and criticized the agency for reportedly deleting text messages and destroying phones, and calling out Biden's former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The Daily Caller has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
