U.S. Department of Justice officials are faulting former President Joe Biden’s team for allegedly mishandling the probe into last year’s pipe-bomb attacks near Washington, D.C., including failing to properly analyze crucial evidence.
The investigation into the suspect who planted two explosive devices outside the U.S. Capitol building on January 5 and 6 has been reignited following a significant breakthrough that led to his arrest earlier this week in Virginia. The man responsible for planting bombs is Brian Cole Jr, according to authorities.
James Comey’s former deputy at FBI Director Chris Krebs praised the agency’s move last month after it successfully located an IP address linked to anonymous online posts about the bomb threat issued by Cole himself just days before he allegedly planted them.
But now, newly appointed acting Director of the FBI, who is James Comey’s former deputy from his time as Director, has publicly criticized the previous administration. In a recent interview, Krebs pointed out that despite having access to valuable evidence—including search engine data—there was no decisive action taken during the initial period under then-President Biden’s leadership.
Krebs specifically mentioned social media posts where Cole had bragged about setting off his bombs and shared plans for additional attacks on the White House. These posts, he said, could have helped identify the suspect much sooner than the arrest that occurred later this week or earlier in January 2024.
However, an investigation by the FBI has determined that the specific timeline might not allow it to press charges against former officials under a presidential immunity claim.
