Today was a big day for the FBI, and it will hopefully put a host of lingering conspiracy theories to rest.
After years of speculation and lots of dead ends, the FBI finally got its man.
Early this morning, the FBI announced that it had arrested Brian Cole Jr. in connection with the placement of pipe bombs just blocks from the Capitol on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021.
It was only in October that the FBI released new and improved footage of the then-unknown suspect in the pipe bomb case.
When that video was released, the conspiracy theorists went wild.
I even saw one report alleging that the suspect was a member of law enforcement, an assertion made based on the gait, height, etc., observed in the video. I thought it was a comical conclusion to draw, but a lot of people were buying the insider job theory. What now makes it even more entertaining is that the speculation was that it was a woman who was the culprit.
In releasing the video and announcing a $500,000 reward for information, the FBI stated, "As part of our ongoing investigation, we're releasing an updated video of the subject, which includes previously unreleased footage, higher quality video, and longer clips of the subject's movements.”
It was just a few weeks ago that the New York Times wrote an article titled, “Far Right’s Fixation on Jan. 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Reaches F.B.I.’s Top Ranks.”
The sub-header even called out Deputy Director Dan Bongino for promising to catch the pipe bomber quickly after assuming his role within the agency. But I mean, that is his job, right?
The Biden administration had this case for four full years and never got a sniff. Bongino and company had it for 11 months, and they already found the guy.
Bongino also called out the media for its misreporting, stating, “A week of near 24-hour work on RECENT open source leads in the case has yet to produce a break through, and some of the media reporting regarding prior persons of interest is grossly inaccurate and serves only to mislead the public.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi poked the previous administration and rightfully took a victory lap after the arrest was announced.
She stated, "The total lack of movement on this case in our nation's capital undermined the public trust of our enforcement agencies. This cold case languished for four years until Director [Kash] Patel and Deputy Director [Dan] Bongino came to the FBI."
Bongino also claimed vindication, stating, "You're not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off in the sunset. Not going to happen.”
Congratulations, but I don’t want to get too giddy over this just yet. Prosecutors still have to get a guilty verdict or a plea to wrap this up. Until that happens, I will reserve my applause. But believe me, I am rooting for them to get this one nailed down.
