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Barry Loudermilk, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the January 6 Attack, has subpoenaed T-Mobile for communications records connected to a suspect linked to pipe bombs discovered near the Republican and Democratic national party headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Loudermilk sent a letter on Thursday to T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan, along with the subpoena, requesting records related to Brian Cole Jr., who is alleged to have planted the devices near the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on Jan. 5, 2021.
In the letter, Loudermilk said the committee believes the company holds information vital to its investigation and oversight efforts.
“The documents and information in T-Mobile’s possession are necessary to advance our oversight and inform potential legislative reforms,” he wrote. “In light of the Wray FBI’s failures in this investigation, it is crucial that Congress consider legislative reforms to prevent the same failures from happening in the future.”
“For example,” Loudermilk continued, “Congress may consider legislation requiring a more thorough evaluation of a suspect’s cell phone usage and may also consider legislation to improve the FBI’s investigative protocol relating to discoveries of improvised explosive devices.”
The Georgia Republican also criticized the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s handling of the case under former director Christopher Wray, arguing that investigators failed to adequately pursue key evidence.
According to Loudermilk, surveillance footage captured Cole five separate times using a cellphone in the areas where the pipe bombs were planted.
The subcommittee said the subpoena is part of its broader oversight into how law enforcement responded to the discovery of the explosive devices and how the subsequent investigation was conducted.
The bombs were discovered outside the RNC and DNC headquarters in Washington the evening before the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, though they were safely defused and no injuries were reported.
