Federal prosecutors said Sunday that the man accused of planting pipe bombs in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, told investigators he felt compelled to “speak up” on behalf of people who believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen and said he targeted both major political parties because they were in charge of the nation’s political system.

The allegations were outlined in a detention memo filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, in which prosecutors argued that Brian J. Cole Jr. should remain in custody as the criminal case proceeds.

Cole was arrested earlier this month in Woodbridge after investigators identified him as the suspect accused of placing homemade explosive devices near the Capitol complex and outside the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee.

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The arrest marked the first significant breakthrough in a case that had remained unsolved for several years.

Undetonated pipe bombs were discovered on Jan. 6, 2021, near both party headquarters, prompting a massive law enforcement response at the time.

Prosecutors said the devices did not detonate and no injuries were reported.

In Sunday’s filing, prosecutors provided the most detailed government account to date of the allegations against Cole, including statements they say he made during interviews with investigators following his arrest.

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The memo also cited physical evidence recovered from Cole’s home, including bomb-making materials that prosecutors say link him directly to the explosive devices.

According to prosecutors, Cole initially denied any involvement in the pipe bomb placement.

Investigators later allege that he confessed to placing the devices outside both the RNC and DNC buildings. Prosecutors said Cole denied that his actions were directly connected to the breach of the U.S. Capitol that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021, one day after the bombs were allegedly planted.

The memo states that Cole told investigators he was disillusioned by the outcome of the 2020 election and sympathetic to claims made by Donald Trump and some of his allies that the election had been stolen.

Prosecutors quoted Cole as explaining that he believed someone needed to intervene to address public anger over the election.

“In the defendant’s view, if people ‘feel that, you know, something as important as voting in the federal election is being tampered with, is being, you know, being – you know, relegated null and void, then, like, someone needs to speak up, right? Someone up top. You know, just to, just to at the very least calm things down,’” prosecutors wrote in the memo.

Prosecutors said that when agents returned to questions about his motive, Cole described a breaking point after consuming news coverage related to politics and the election.

They wrote that Cole explained “something just snapped” after “watching everything, just everything getting worse.”

The memo also detailed Cole’s explanation for choosing the locations where the devices were placed. “The defendant wanted to do something ‘to the parties’ because ‘they were in charge,’” prosecutors wrote.

When questioned about why he targeted both party headquarters, Cole allegedly responded, “‘I really don’t like either party at this point.’”

Prosecutors further stated that Cole told investigators his decision to use pipe bombs was influenced by his interest in the historical conflict in Northern Ireland, though the filing did not elaborate on how that interest translated into the alleged actions.

Federal authorities recovered bomb-making components during a search of Cole’s residence following his arrest, according to the memo.

Prosecutors argue that the materials match those used in the undetonated devices discovered in Washington and provide additional evidence tying Cole to the alleged crimes.

Cole’s attorneys are expected to challenge the government’s request to keep him detained.

A hearing on his detention is scheduled for Tuesday in federal court in Washington.

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