A California judge came down hard on the man who broke into Paul Pelosi’s home and struck him with a hammer in 2022, sentencing David DePape, a conspiracist obsessed with right-wing podcasts, to three decades in a federal prison.
It’s a lengthy sentence for DePape, who will be in his mid-70s if he’s to serve his federal sentence in its entirety. He faced a potential sentence of up to life in prison, but his lawyers argued he deserved only 25 years in the clink.
DePape, 44, was convicted in November on federal charges of assault on an immediate family member of a federal official and attempted kidnapping of a federal official.
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His brutal attack was captured by a San Francisco police officer’s body camera on Oct. 28, 2022, which showed him striking Paul Pelosi in the head and knocking him unconscious—a chilling incident that took place after Paul Pelosi made an eerie late-night 911 call about a stranger in his home.
DePape was emotional while testifying at his trial, admitting through tears that he’d broken into Pelosi’s San Francisco home—by smashing out a back patio window—with the intention of holding Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) hostage. If she didn’t play by his rules or lied to him, he said he planned to break her kneecaps.
The Canadian national also admitted to bludgeoning Paul Pelosi with a hammer after police showed up, claiming he carried out the dangerous act out of anger that his bizarre plan was unraveling.
DePape also admitted he had a target list of people he’d come to hate, which included actor Tom Hanks, Mike Pence, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Hunter Biden, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. That list did not include Paul Pelosi, DePape testified, but he was the only person home when he broke in.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt him,” DePape testified. “I reacted because my plan was ruined... Getting to the rest of my targets and pardoning all of them and ending the corruption.”
While it was clear DePape committed the assault, prosecutors had to prove to a jury that DePape’s actions were politically motivated—with Rep. Pelosi as the target—to have him put away on federal charges.
DePape’s attorneys argued that that he didn’t actually plan to harm or kidnap Rep. Pelosi, despite Paul Pelosi infamously alleging that DePape yelled inside the home, “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?”
Had he survived a conviction in his federal case, DePape still faced state charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse.
A source close to the Pelosi family told The Daily Beast that the couple prepared victim impact statements that were read ahead of DePape’s sentencing. Those emphasized how drastically the day-to-day life of Paul Pelosi, 84, has been altered because of the attack, which he is still recovering from, and detailed how it forced Rep. Pelosi away from her duties as a lawmaker.
Rep. Pelosi’s office sent a prepared statement to The Daily Beast on Friday.
“The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in this case,” the statement read. “Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery.”
