The fight over the Jan. 5/6 pipe‑bomb case just escalated. Defense attorneys for alleged pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. filed a motion to suppress his purported confession, arguing the FBI illegally coerced it during a December interview. Headline USA’s Ken Silva reported the filing and described its contents.
The motion to suppress
According to the defense motion, the interview showed the FBI’s “methodical dismantling of a man whose autism spectrum disorder.” The filing includes an opinion from psychologist Dr. Richard A. Leo—identified as a consultant in roughly 2,500 disputed‑confession cases—who concluded “the interrogation was psychologically coercive,” per Silva’s report.
What the transcript shows
The defense attached a transcript of Cole’s Dec. 4 interview. Headline USA reports that roughly three hours in—after agents told Cole his earlier denials were illegal and warned they could “drag” his family in for interviews—an interrogator showed him a surveillance photo and asked, “So, this individual is you?” Cole replied, “Yes.” Agents then left and later returned to continue the conversation, according to the transcript cited by Headline USA.
Toward the end, the transcript quotes Cole saying, “I don’t know how many times I wanted to turn myself in,” and, “So, so many times … I’d just be scared,” per the same report.
Defense targets CIA security guard; DOJ objects
Silva reports that Cole’s lawyers also seek FBI evidence about former Capitol Police officer and current CIA security guard Shauni Kerkhoff, arguing they want to subpoena her records because she might be the true culprit. Requested material includes: the original video of Kerkhoff’s dog on the night of Jan. 5, 2021; communications between Kerkhoff and her boyfriend, Capitol Police officer Daniel Dickert; and records tied to the FBI’s gait analysis.
The Justice Department opposes those subpoenas, stating Cole’s team has provided no evidence that Kerkhoff planted the bombs. “The FBI investigated this claim, as it did many others, and found it to be baseless,” DOJ said, calling the request a “fishing expedition,” according to Headline USA.
Prior reporting on the investigation timeline
In March 2024, Headline USA reported the FBI had identified a suspect by Jan. 10, 2021, but made no arrests. The outlet also cited FBI records showing agents did not interview the woman who discovered a device near the RNC—former counterterrorism analyst and then‑Commerce Department employee Karlin Younger—until days later; Younger said she found the bomb around 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 6 while doing laundry.
Headline USA further reported that Kamala Harris’s motorcade left the Capitol at 11:21 a.m. and arrived at the DNC at 11:25 a.m. on Jan. 6, while a plainclothes Capitol Police officer reportedly discovered the DNC pipe bomb at 1:07 p.m.
What’s next
Silva reports the Justice Department has not yet responded to the suppression motion. Cole’s attorneys asked for a hearing. DOJ says a judge should block the Kerkhoff subpoenas. It remains unclear when the court will rule.
