Federal prosecutors have revealed that Brian Cole Jr., the suspect now accused of planting pipe bombs outside both the DNC and RNC on January 5, 2021, is a radical activist who previously ran an immigration bail operation that sued the Trump administration in an effort to release illegal aliens from federal custody.
Court records show that just weeks before Cole allegedly planted the explosive devices, a federal appeals court ruled against his lawsuit targeting the Trump-led Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rejecting all claims brought by his bail bond firm.
The revelation adds a significant new layer to the political backdrop of the case, especially given the central role the pipe bombs played in shaping the left’s narrative that the January 6 protests constituted a “domestic terror” incident.
PICTURED: Alleged Jan. 6 D.C. pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. pic.twitter.com/kAna2hIHWV
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 4, 2025
Cole Aligned Himself with Radical Activists, Including Benjamin Crump
Later in 2021, Cole held a press conference alongside activist attorney Benjamin Crump, who became nationally known after representing Trayvon Martin’s family and has repeatedly described America as a “systemically racist” nation.
Crump has also promoted several high-profile narratives later debunked, including the “hands up, don’t shoot” claim surrounding Michael Brown.
Cole and Crump demanded that the Biden-led Justice Department investigate a Tennessee prosecutor who had raised concerns about Cole Jr. and his father’s bail bonding business.
On November 16, 2021, Nashville outlet WPLN reported:
“A high-profile civil rights attorney is calling for a federal investigation into a Rutherford County prosecutor accused of discrimination.”
Cole, standing beside Crump, accused Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman of racial discrimination:
“I’ve never met the opposition that I’ve met with Zimmerman coming after our company the way he has. He’s defamed me, he’s called my insurance company,” Cole said, adding that he and Crump “hope” the DOJ would investigate Zimmerman for “questionable acts… towards minority-owned companies.”
Crump added:
“It is appalling, and we want these allegations to be investigated to the highest level of government. …
“They called him a punk and a thug, and why? What is it about him?
“A lot of people believe they know the answer.”
Court Later Affirms Misconduct by Cole’s Bail Business
In April 2025, a Tennessee appeals court upheld sanctions against the Coles’ bonding firm, citing multiple acts of misconduct by Brian Cole Sr. and others.
Cole Sr. lied about never having filed for bankruptcy and about not having financial problems, despite twice filing for bankruptcy and holding outstanding tax liens, the court said.
The Coles had operated under multiple company names beginning in 2017 in Fairfax County, Virginia, before moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, public records show.
One of their companies, StateWide Bonding, Inc., Immigration Bonds, specializes in helping illegal immigrants avoid detention.
Its website stated:
“An Immigration Bond will secure the release of an undocumented alien from an immigration facility with the guarantee that the conditions of the Immigration Bond requirements are met.”
Cole’s Firm Sued Trump DHS Weeks Before Bomb Plot
In 2020, StateWide sued the Trump Administration over its handling of illegal immigration cases.
But on November 10, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. sided with DHS, ruling the lower court was correct to dismiss all of StateWide’s claims.
Within weeks of that defeat, according to the FBI, Cole allegedly planted the two pipe bombs that became a defining element of the Left’s January 6 narrative.
What Led Investigators to Cole
According to federal officials, Cole was arrested after investigators, newly assigned to the long-stagnant case, followed bank and phone records that ultimately tied him to the bombing locations.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that these records were key to the breakthrough.
Cole had operated his bail business while simultaneously engaging in high-profile activism, lawsuits against the Trump administration, and public attacks on prosecutors questioning his firm’s legitimacy.
Now, the same man who styled himself as an advocate for “civil rights” stands accused of planting explosive devices outside both major party headquarters, just hours before the January 6 congressional certification.
READ MORE – FBI Arrests Suspect in Jan 6 Pipe Bomb Case After 5-Year Investigation
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