(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Friday he had received information from a “new FBI whistleblower” that raises questions about the bureau’s investigation into the Jan. 6 pipe bomb case.
The alleged whistleblower information centers on Brian J. Cole, Jr., the suspect the DOJ claimed placed explosive devices outside the Republican and Democratic national committees in Washington, D.C.
In a series of posts on X, Massie said the whistleblower’s tips, along with neighbors’ observations, suggest Cole “does not appear to have the mental acumen to plan, prepare, and execute a complex bombing plot by himself.”
🧵 Last night I received a disclosure from a new FBI whistleblower regarding the J6 pipe bomb case.
This is the third disclosure I’ve received from current and former employees of the government regarding the pipe bomb case in recent weeks.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 12, 2025
Massie added that he concludes that “FBI employee disclosing this information to me doesn’t believe the FBI has arrested a person who is capable or motivated, or even interested enough in affairs outside of his own small world, to execute the J6 pipe bomb plot on his own.”
Massie said the assessment is based on internal information about Cole’s life. He added that Cole’s neighborhood is “populated with several employees of the FBI, Secret Service, and police” and that many “of them have observed the suspect on walks over the years.”
According to Massie, Cole wanders the neighborhood several times a day while walking his dog and otherwise does not “engage in any other activities.”
“He does not interact with anyone,” the Republican lawmaker added. “He doesn’t wave or acknowledge others or even say hello. He does not even look at other people when he walks by. He appears to live in his own world.”
Cole had never been spotted “walking around in an angry or agitated state” and his “demeanor is detached and vacant.”
Earlier this month, Cole’s grandmother, Loretta, described him as “autistic-like” and said that he does not “understand a lot of stuff.”
She added, “He’s not a terrorist. … He’s very naïve. He would not hurt a fly. He’s just not that kind of person.”
Massie echoed those remarks in his X thread, writing that Cole’s behavior “is awkward” and that it is “obvious he has a mental disability, and likely lives in a permanently vulnerable, intellectual, and emotional state.”
Massie said those claims raised questions about the reliability of any alleged confession obtained while Cole was in detention.
“It’s well known that individuals with mental conditions are susceptible to providing inaccurate and unwarranted ‘confessions,’” he added.
Massie did not identify the whistleblower. Meanwhile, Cole has been charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials.
