Right-wing conservatives push to shut down the last active Jan. 6 prosecution

WASHINGTON — There’s just one active federal prosecution still tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the case of the man accused of planting two pipe bombs at the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee. And some of MAGA’s most fervent supporters want to shut it down.

Some conservative figures accuse the Trump administration of framing Brian Cole Jr., who was arrested almost five years after the unexploded devices were placed. Cole, as NBC News first reported, told the FBI that he believed the 2020 election had been stolen after false accusations fueled by President Donald Trump and his supporters.

Cole has pleaded not guilty, and a trial is set for February. The FBI said he confessed after his arrest, but his legal team has noted that he was diagnosed with autism and is expected to seek to have the confession tossed based on his disability or argue he was coerced.

The prosecution has opened a rift between the Trump administration and some prominent right-wing conservatives who are seeking to undermine the case by spreading discredited theories about who was to blame. They contend the bombs were placed by “deep state” actors to distract…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business