The individual accused of placing pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on the evening before the U.S. Capitol siege on January 6, 2021, admitted to the FBI that he believed the 2020 election had been interfered with, according to a legal document from federal prosecutors. Brian Cole, a 30-year-old from Virginia, confessed to planting the devices outside the Democratic and Republican national committees’ headquarters after being taken into custody earlier this month. He disclosed to FBI agents that he felt compelled to take action against the political parties due to their impact on U.S. politics, stating he harbored negative views towards both parties. Prosecutors shared additional insights into the case while advocating for Cole’s pre-trial detention. A court hearing is set for Tuesday in Washington federal court. Cole is charged with two counts related to explosives but has not entered a plea. Cole’s arrest, occurring almost five years after the incident, followed a reexamination of the case by senior FBI officials, which had been a long-standing puzzle for investigators and had been linked to right-wing conspiracy theories associated with the Capitol riot. During the FBI interrogation, Cole denied that the bomb placement on January 5, 2021, had any connection to the Congress certification of the election the next day. The pipe bombs were only discovered around 1 p.m. on January 6, drawing law enforcement attention away as supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol. Initially, Cole refuted planting the devices, claiming he was in Washington to participate in a rally supporting Trump’s false allegations of widespread electoral fraud leading to his defeat in the 2020 election. Cole emphasized the importance of influential figures speaking out if there are suspicions of electoral interference at the federal level.