A House select subcommittee investigating unresolved questions surrounding the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has subpoenaed T-Mobile while seeking customer data the congressmen say could be critical to congressional oversight and potential legislative reforms tied to the long-running pipe bomb investigation.
In a Feb. 4 letter addressed to T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan, the committee's chairman, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., said the panel is examining the law enforcement response to Jan. 6 and the subsequent investigation into explosive devices planted near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters the night before.
The pipe bombs were discovered around 1 p.m. Jan. 6 as Congress began the electoral certification process, according to the letter.
The subpoena follows the FBI's recent apprehension of a suspect, identified as Brian Cole Jr., in connection with the devices.
The subcommittee claims the FBI, now led by Director Kash Patel, was able to identify the suspect using data the bureau had possessed since February 2021, raising questions about why the case remained unsolved for nearly four years under former FBI Director Christopher Wray.
"The FBI's handling of the pipe bomb investigation ... stands in stark contrast to the way it handled every other violation of federal law that day," Loudermilk wrote, arguing the threat posed by the devices could have resulted in one of the most violent outcomes of Jan. 6 had they detonated.
He also noted that the discovery of the bombs diverted law enforcement resources away from the Capitol.
The letter states Cole has been identified as a T-Mobile user and references surveillance footage depicting the suspect using a cellphone near the DNC on the evening of Jan. 5, within minutes of allegedly planting the first device.
The FBI's operational updates, Loudermilk wrote, repeatedly noted the suspect was observed using a phone.
The committee said the requested records are needed to evaluate potential reforms, including legislation that would require more thorough analysis of cellphone usage in major investigations and improvements to FBI protocols involving improvised explosive devices.
Loudermilk cited Congress' broad oversight authority and said the subpoena is necessary to inform legislative action and prevent similar investigative failures in the future.
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