We're just shy of four years post the unsettling events of January 6, 2021, and much of the focus in the intervening years has been on the events at the Capitol itself that day and the subsequent prosecutions of many who were present, as well as President-elect Donald Trump. 

But another facet of that fateful day was the mysterious pipe bombs found outside both the DNC and RNC headquarters. Despite plenty of digging on the matter — and some rather pointed questioning of former FBI Assistant Director in Charge of the DC field office Steve D'Antuono, who headed up the investigation into it — there remain more questions than answers.

New J6 Bomb Information From Security Expert Raises Even More Questions

Massie Drops a Thread About Those J6 Pipebombs That Raises Even More Questions

On Thursday, the Committee on House Administration - Subcommittee on Oversight (chaired by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and the Committee on the Judiciary - Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antirust (chaired by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)), issued an interim report on the matter — and it paints a rather unflattering picture of law enforcement both in terms of actions taken that day and the ensuing investigation.

B) House Admin Cmte: "Law enforcement allowed the motorcade of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to drive through an active bomb scene, risking the safety of the Speaker."

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 2, 2025

The full report may be viewed here, but here are the key takeaways as set forth by the committee:

The Security Failures Associated with the Law Enforcement Response to the Pipe Bombs:

• The USSS failed to identify one of the devices during security sweeps at the DNC, resulting in Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s motorcade passing within feet of one of the pipe bombs. At least ten different USSS agents and two canine units came within feet of the pipe bomb before the Vice President-elect’s arrival yet never discovered the device.
• USCP failed to properly secure and maintain a perimeter around the pipe bombs despite multiple orders to do so, allowing pedestrians and vehicular traffic to cross within feet of the explosive devices. USCP permitted vehicles and pedestrians to pass by the pipe bomb while USCP’s bomb robot engaged with the device. At the DNC, for example, more than 40 vehicles and 10 pedestrians breached the security perimeter around the pipe bomb between its discovery and when law enforcement ultimately cleared the scene.
• Law enforcement allowed the motorcade of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to drive through an active bomb scene, risking the safety of the Speaker.

The FBI’s Investigation into the Pipe Bomber:

• The FBI did not receive “corrupted data” from one of the major cell carriers in connection with its investigation into the pipe bomber. 
  • A former senior FBI official testified that the major cell carrier companies provided “corrupted” cell data to the FBI and suggested that that “corrupted” data may have contained the identity of the pipe bomber; however, in responses to letters from the Subcommittee, the major cell carriers confirmed that they did not provide corrupted data to the FBI and that the FBI never notified them of any issues with accessing the cellular data.
• In the early weeks and months of the investigation, the FBI took significant investigative steps to identify the suspect, including issuing geofence warrants, analyzing cell tower data, conducting forensic analyses of the devices, tracking the devices’ components, and reviewing hours of security camera footage. The FBI identified multiple persons of interest during the initial weeks and months of the investigation, including: 
  • A person of interest who searched the term “pipe bomb DC” online prior to law enforcement’s discovery of the pipe bombs but after their placement.
  • A person of interest who on the morning of January 5, 2021, took photographs of the area behind the RNC where one of the pipe bombs would later be planted.
  • A vehicle of interest carrying a passenger matching the description of the suspect that drove past the RNC minutes after the suspect planted the pipe bombs.
  • A person of interest who owned the same unique pair of sneakers as the suspect (Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers) and who worked “in the area of the crime.”
  • Five persons of interest or “potential targets” whose cellular data indicated their movements on the evening of January 5, 2021, may have matched the movements of the suspect.

Despite its initial efforts, the FBI has yet to identify the suspect and has refused to provide the Subcommittees with additional information about these investigative leads.

Given the fervor with which the FBI has pursued individuals present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, it's puzzling that their investigation into the placing of explosive devices nearby — which posed a threat to Secret Service protectees and others — has virtually stalled out. It's even more puzzling that the agency provided incorrect (false?) information regarding the data obtained from cellphone carriers. 

In the report's conclusion, the committees vow to "continue their oversight to inform potential legislative reforms to protect the security of the Capitol Complex and improve federal law enforcement." As for ever getting definitive answers as to those behind the pipe bombs, well, hopefully, no one is holding their breath.