Trial begins for man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband

SAN FRANCISCO — The man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home in San Francisco last year and attacking her husband with a hammer as part of an attempt to kidnap her goes to trial on Thursday.

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Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday morning in the trial of David DePape. The 43-year-old faces federal charges of attempted kidnapping of a federal officer or employee and assault on the immediate family of a federal official.

Prosecutors said DePape was looking for Nancy Pelosi when he smashed through a glass door at the Pelosis’ residence in Pacific Heights around 2 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2022. At the time, Paul Pelosi was sleeping, and his wife was miles away in Washington, D.C.

DePape told Paul Pelosi that he was “fighting tyranny” and that he planned to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, court records show. He told investigators that if she told him the truth, he would let her go. If she didn’t, he said he would “break her kneecaps” to “show other Members of Congress that there were consequences to their actions,” according to court records.

Paul Pelosi managed to call 911 and report the break-in. When officers arrived, they found both men gripping a hammer which Paul Pelosi later said that DePape brought with him.

Police ordered DePape to drop the hammer, but he refused. Instead, prosecutors said he pulled the hammer over his head and swung it at Paul Pelosi, striking him in the head. The attack, which left the 83-year-old with injuries that included a skull fracture, was caught on body cameras.

Authorities said DePape believed that Pelosi was the “‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party.” Earlier, he posted rants online about “aliens, communists, religious minorities, and global elites,” according to The Associated Press. He believed in right-wing conspiracy theories, including the baseless “Pizzagate” claim that Hillary Clinton ran a child sex abuse ring out of a pizza parlor in Washington, D.C., The Los Angeles Times reported.

He pleaded not guilty to federal charges last year.

In addition to the federal charges, DePape is also allegations of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse and more in state court.