Judge rules alleged Jan. 6 pipe bomber not covered by Trump's blanket pardons

A federal judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's sweeping clemency grant for all of the individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol does not apply to the man charged last year with planting pipe bombs outside of the Republican and Democratic National Committee headquarters. 

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali rejected arguments from defense attorneys for alleged pipe bomber Brian Cole Jr. that he should be covered by President Trump's pardons on the basis that his actions were allegedly related to Congress' convening of the joint session the next day.

"Even assuming that the conduct Cole is charged with is 'related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,' the pardon is expressly limited to people who had been 'convicted of offenses' related to those events," Ali wrote in his order. "Cole had not been convicted of the conduct at issue when the President issued the pardon; indeed, he was not charged until many months after the President's proclamation."

"Cole does not try to explain how a pardon for 'individuals convicted of offenses' applies to him, and he shifts to a new theory in his reply brief: that the President's directive to the Attorney General to 'pursue dismissal with prejudice to the government of all pending indictments' requires the Attorney General to dismiss the charges against him," the judge wrote. "But this argument does not work either. Cole was first charged in December 2025 -- months after the President's proclamation." 

Cole has pleaded not guilty in his case and is set to return to court Wednesday for a status conference.