U.S. News
Bail Bondsman Targeted Both Parties Headquarters
Clear Facts
- Brian Cole, Jr. ran a bail bonding business that assisted illegal immigrants and took legal action against the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security.
- Federal prosecutors claim Cole planted pipe bombs at both Democrat and Republican party headquarters on January 5, 2021, after losing his lawsuit in November 2020.
- Cole and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump alleged racial discrimination against a Tennessee prosecutor, calling for a Department of Justice investigation.
Brian Cole, Jr. operated a bail bond company helping illegal immigrants and sued the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security over immigration issues.
Federal prosecutors allege Cole planted pipe bombs at Democrat and Republican party headquarters on January 5, 2021, not long after losing that lawsuit.
A high-profile civil rights attorney is calling for a federal investigation into a Rutherford County prosecutor accused of discrimination.
That same year, Cole claimed Rutherford County Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman targeted him and his bail bond business unfairly, even as the company faced concerns over its ethics and was suspended in a neighboring district.
“I’ve never met the opposition that I’ve met with Zimmerman coming after our company the way he has. He’s defamed me, he’s called my insurance company. … We hope that the Department of Justice can come in and do a brief investigation because … we’ve seen a lot of questionable acts that Mr. Zimmerman has demonstrated towards minority-owned companies.”
Crump said, “It is appalling, and we want these allegations to be investigated to the highest level of government. … They called him a punk and a thug, and why? What is it about him? A lot of people believe they know the answer.”
In April 2025, a Tennessee appeals court confirmed sanctions for repeated misconduct by Cole Sr. and others, noting that senior Cole had lied about not filing bankruptcy and about tax liens.
Cole Jr. and his father operated bail bond businesses under several names, including StateWide Bonding, Inc. Immigration Bonds, assisting illegal immigrants in avoiding jail.
“An Immigration Bond will secure the release of an undocumented alien from an immigration facility with the guarantee the conditions of the Immigration Bond requirements are met,” the company’s website states.
StateWide’s address matches another Cole-associated company, and Cole was named as owner in bond disputes in Colorado.
Weeks before the alleged pipe bomb incident, the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the Trump administration’s position in a case brought by Cole’s company, rejecting all claims.
Democrats and media used the January 6 pipe bombs to accuse Trump supporters of violence, although under the Biden administration, the FBI claimed it could not identify a suspect and Kamala Harris, who was nearby, never referenced it.
Charging documents reveal Cole began acquiring bomb-making materials as early as May 2019, during the Trump administration and before election disputes arose.
Stay informed on updates to this story and others impacting our nation.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
