A federal judge rules that President Trump’s clemency grant for people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack does not apply to a separate case involving alleged pipe bombs in Washington, D.C. The ruling addresses whether the president’s broad pardons extend beyond Jan. 6 convictions or charges tied to the Capitol riot.
According to multiple outlets, the judge finds the pardon language is limited to those who were convicted of actions on Jan. 6, 2021, and therefore does not cover Brian Cole Jr., a man charged in connection with planting pipe bombs near national party headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6 riot. The judge’s decision concludes the clemency does not shield the defendant from prosecution or related legal consequences in the D.C. pipe bomb matter.
The outlets agree the court’s ruling is based on the scope and wording of the president’s pardon, rather than the defendant’s association with events around the Jan. 6 period.
