SAN FRANCISCO — The individual accused of assaulting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer was entangled in conspiracy theories when he broke into their San Francisco residence last year, as revealed by his defense attorney during the trial that began on Thursday.
The attack, which occurred on October 28, 2022, and targeted the then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi, sent shockwaves through the political landscape just days before the midterm elections in the previous year.
Defense attorney Jodi Linker clarified that she would not dispute her client David DePape’s involvement in the attack on Paul Pelosi, which was captured on police body cameras. Instead, she intends to argue that he genuinely believed he was taking action to combat corruption and child abuse by politicians and actors, a belief he held strongly.
“This is not a ‘whodunit.’ But what the government fails to acknowledge is the ‘whydunit,’ and the motive matters in this case,” she stated.
DePape pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official with the intent to retaliate against the official for the performance of their duties. Linker’s core argument is that DePape’s actions were not aimed at hindering Nancy Pelosi in her official duties.
Federal prosecutor Laura Vartain Horn informed the jury that DePape had been planning the attack since August. The evidence and FBI testimonies will allegedly demonstrate that he extensively researched his targets online, obtaining phone numbers and addresses and even paying for a public records service to gather information about Nancy Pelosi and others.
During her opening statement, Vartain Horn presented a photo of Paul Pelosi injured and lying in a pool of blood. She also played a call DePape made to a television station in which he repeated conspiracy theories.
“The evidence in this case will show that when the defendant used a hammer to break into the Pelosi’s home, he intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi,” Vartain Horn claimed, holding a hammer inside a plastic evidence bag.
Prosecutors displayed body camera footage of DePape confessing to the attack while speaking to police and paramedics outside the Pelosis’ home.
“There is no denying what I did. Cops watched me do it,” he admitted.
Paul Pelosi is expected to testify in the coming week.
DePape had posted rants on a blog and an online forum, discussing topics such as aliens, communists, religious minorities, and global elites. He questioned the results of the 2020 election and promoted the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges that a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles controls the U.S. government. These websites were removed shortly after his arrest.
If convicted, DePape could face life in prison. He also faces charges in state court, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, and other felonies, to which he has pleaded not guilty. A state trial date has not been set.
During the trial, Christine Pelosi, one of the Pelosis’ daughters, was present in the courtroom, as was Gypsy Taub, DePape’s ex-girlfriend, and their two teenage sons. Taub softly called DePape’s name and blew a kiss, to which he responded with a smile and a wave.
DePape, a Canadian citizen, had moved to the United States over 20 years ago after falling in love with Taub, a Berkeley pro-nudity activist well-known in the Bay Area, as reported by his stepfather, Gene DePape. In recent years, David DePape had been experiencing homelessness and struggling with drug abuse and mental illness, according to Taub’s statements to local media.
Federal prosecutors allege that DePape forcibly entered the Pelosis’ Pacific Heights mansion by breaking through a glass panel on a door at the back of the residence. He confronted a sleeping Paul Pelosi, who was in boxer shorts and a pajama top, and demanded to know the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi.
“Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?” DePape inquired while holding a hammer and zip ties, according to court records. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington and under the protection of her security detail, which does not extend to family members.
Paul Pelosi immediately called 911, leading to the arrival of two police officers who witnessed DePape striking him in the head with a hammer, rendering him unconscious, as detailed in court records.
Following his arrest, DePape, aged 43, allegedly told a San Francisco detective that he intended to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage. He claimed that if she told the truth, he would release her, but if she lied, he would “break her kneecaps” to serve as a warning to other members of Congress, according to the prosecution.
DePape, who had been living in a garage in the Bay Area city of Richmond and doing odd carpentry jobs to support himself, informed authorities that he had other targets, including a women’s and queer studies professor, California Governor Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks, and President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.
One of these targets is included in the defense’s short list of witnesses, with their name redacted. The prosecution’s list of potential witnesses comprises 15 names, including the surgeon who operated on Paul Pelosi, federal agents, San Francisco police officers, and several first responders.