Thomas Massie Accuses FBI of Arresting Wrong Man in Jan 6 Pipe Bomb Case — Citing Analysis of Outlet That Made False Accusation

(FBI via AP, File)

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he believes the FBI arrested the “wrong person” in the January 6 pipe bomb case, citing new analysis from The Blaze, an outlet that falsely identified a former Capitol Police officer as the suspect last year in an article that was later retracted.

The FBI arrested Brian Cole Jr. in early December, nearly five years after surveillance cameras captured a masked figure placing explosive devices outside  the Democratic and Republican headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 5, 2021 . Investigators said they linked him to the scene using license plate data and cell tower records.

Yet since the arrest, the Republican congressman has repeatedly insisted that the man in custody is the “wrong person” and even claimed a whistleblower from inside the bureau told him so.

On Tuesday, Massie took to X to double down on his claim, sharing a link to a new investigation published on Monday by The Blaze:

The investigation presents a Blaze News-led analysis of surveillance footage, bodycam video, and forensic assessments to argue that there are physical inconsistencies between Cole and the original hoodie-clad suspect, spanning gait, posture, stride length, shoe size, eyesight, and general movement patterns.

While the new article does not make any assertions as to who might be the real perpetrator, it’s not the first time The Blaze has undertaken its own analysis to make claims about the case.

In early November, reporter Steve Baker advanced a claim that the pipe-bomb suspect had been identified as former Capitol Police officer Shauni Kerkhoff, alleging she left the force months after the riot and later joined a “three letter intelligence agency.”

Baker’s report at the time pointed to Kerkhoff as a supposed “forensic match” to the individual seen placing pipe bombs. The report also leaned heavily on a claimed gait-analysis match, describing as 94% to 98% consistent with the suspect’s stride, along with unnamed sources and material from an online investigator.

However, following the later arrest of Cole, the outlet removed the story and appended an editor’s note stating that “the values of fairness and accuracy” required its retraction, a misfire which hasn’t stopped Massie from promoting the new report.

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