Exclusive | FBI’s $500K reward went untouched in nabbing DC pipe bomb suspect, Kash Patel says, crediting ‘relentless’ police work for breakthrough

During the Trump administration, investigators caught Brian Cole, the suspect linked to a pipe‑bomb plot in Washington, D.C., without relying on public tips—a testament to thorough law‑enforcement techniques, told the Post by FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday.

Even though a $500,000 reward was offered for leads that led to the arrest of the person who’d set pipe bombs at political offices in the capital, the Biden administration had not identified a suspect during the former president’s sole term in office.

In contrast, the FBI under Trump’s tenure managed to crack the case that remained open for almost five years without fresh tips.

“The FBI examined every piece of information available, leveraged new technology, brought in experts from around the country, and methodically developed the evidence needed to nail this suspect,” Patel told the Post. “This breakthrough didn’t come from new tips, it came from relentless FBI work.”

The agency arrested Cole on Thursday morning in connection with the bombs planted outside the Democratic and Republican National Committees the night before the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. FBI agents arrived at the Cole family’s quiet cul‑de‑sac in Woodbridge, Virginia, collected evidence, and sealed the scene.

While the FBI had charged and prosecuted numerous Jan. 6 participants—1,600 of whom President Trump later pardoned—the bureau had struggled for years to pinpoint the individual who had planted the devices ahead of Congress counting the 2020 votes.

“Then‑Vice President‑elect Kamala Harris and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D‑Calif.) both came “within feet” of the bombs as they traveled to and from the DNC headquarters on South Capitol Street on Jan. 6.”

Patel explained that his team launched a renewed effort on the case when he joined the administration.

“Our team re‑examined the case from the ground up after the previous leadership spent four years with no success,” he said. “We engineered this investigation, built the evidentiary trail, and executed the search warrants that finally brought this individual into custody.”

“This is what a focused, disciplined Bureau delivers for the American people,” he added.