The Justice Department has identified Brian Cole, Jr. as one of the individuals linked to the January 6th pipe bombing incident outside Democratic Party committee headquarters.

But the plot against national security is deeply intertwined with a family business that operated in a uniquely specific niche and faced accusations years earlier tied to policies under then-President Donald Trump’s administration.

StateWide Bonding, Inc., Brian Cole, Jr.’s Virginia-based bail bonds company specializing exclusively in providing financial backing for undocumented immigrants from ICE detention facilities – was actively challenging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) long before January 2021. Their case went all the way to a federal appeals court ruling against them weeks prior.

Here are key details surrounding their pre-January 6th lawsuit:

Company Focus: StateWide Bonding, Inc., under brands like “Free U Bonds,” focused on immigration bonds, securing release for undocumented immigrants from detention while awaiting court dates.
Target of the Suit: The company sued the DHS in 2018 (with a related case following).
Challenge: They argued DHS policies unfairly penalized their business when immigrant clients failed to appear in court. This included inadequate notification leading to “failures” and imposing severe financial penalties for such events.
Legal Outcome: In November 2020, weeks before January 6th, a federal appeals court unanimously dismissed StateWide Bonding’s case against the then-DHS, finding no merit to their arguments about policy harms.

This connection raises questions. Brian Cole, Sr., operated this business alongside his son Brian Cole, Jr., who later allegedly employed high-profile civil rights tactics seemingly unrelated to the company itself or immigration policies during a separate investigation into their practices. Weeks after losing the November 2020 lawsuit appeal, the father held a press conference with prominent attorney Benjamin Crump (not mentioned in this original text) claiming Rutherford County Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman engaged in “appalling” anti-Black racism and demanded federal DOJ action.

The timing of these events presents an unusual narrative: a company suing DHS over allegedly flawed immigration bond procedures weeks before the January 6th attack, followed by Brian Cole Jr., who works for that bail bonds company (as noted in charging documents), being identified as one of the individuals implicated in planting pipe bombs just days later.