When a DOJ/FBI/IC document starts a sentence with "Moreover," pay attention to what comes next.
"This CIOL, believed to have been missing for several years, was dated September 07, 2016 and contained certain intelligence related to the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign."
"The CIOL was found in a storage closet adjacent to the Director’s office and was subsequently transported to the 9582 SCIF. Former Director Comey previously testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was unfamiliar with this CIOL as well as its related intelligence."
🧵Richman v. United States
(Arctic Haze search warrant material case)
ORDER: DOJ must get a search warrant for Arctic Haze/Richman materials seized from Richman in 2017, 2019, and 2020.
And that includes materials under seal in the EDVA and within DOJ "component" offices.
Backstory:
Just days after United States v. Comey was dismissed for Interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan being unlawfully appointed, Daniel Richman, who is Person 3 from the indictment in the Comey case, filed a civil case against the DOJ.
Richman wants the property he volunteered to DOJ in 2017 and the materials that were seized from him pursuant to the four Arctic Haze search warrants in 2019 and 2020 to be returned to him.
A D.C. Superior Court grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Cole for the same two counts charged in the criminal complaint—18 U.S.C. 844(d) and 844(i).
This indictment has not been filed publicly but was presented to the judge yesterday.
2/5
Federal prosecutors using a local grand jury in this way is a new thing in DC. It came about thanks to the Trump Admin's push to neutralize criminal activity in the capital.
But the issue is currently before the Court of Appeals.
- The post-arrest interview was hours long and video recorded.
- "Over the next approximately one and one-half hours, the defendant walked the interviewing agents in detail through his construction, transportation, and planting of the pipe bombs."
- Brian Cole Jr "reset" or "wiped" his Samsung smartphone 943 times between December 2020 and December 2025.
- The pipe bombs "were viable explosive devices."
- FBI found pipe bomb components in Cole Jr's home and in his vehicle.
-"According to the defendant, 'no one knows' his political views, including his family."
- "He made the black powder in the devices using charcoal, Lilly Miller sulfur dust, and potassium nitrate that he purchased from Lowes."
- He "denied that his actions were directed toward Congress or related to the proceedings scheduled to take place on January 6."
- Motive: "he explained that 'something just snapped' after 'watching everything, just everything getting worse.' The defendant wanted to do something 'to the parties' because 'they were in charge.' 'I really don’t like either party at this point.'"
The most important takeaway from the filing:
The J5 pipe bombs had nothing to do with the events of J6.
None of the popular narratives about the pipe bombs and how they fit into either side's J6 story are correct.
We rarely perceive a person, idea, or event exactly as it is/they are—we instead make a near-automatic inference based on context, emotions, the social status we attach to it/them, and the narratives that surround it (or don't).
We make these calculations instantaneously, without prompting.
Just like we all did when we first glanced at the example above and perceived the batteries to be of differing sizes, we do the same thing to people, ideas, and events. Right? : )