A California jury convicted David DePape on Friday of kidnapping, burglary, false imprisonment, threatening the family member of a public official, and dissuading a witness.
This conviction follows his federal court conviction last year. DePape, a right-wing conspiracy theorist, attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer.
The state conviction could add more prison time to DePape’s existing 30-year federal prison sentence, which a U.S. district judge imposed in May for attempted kidnapping and assault of an immediate family member of a federal official.
DePape, 44, broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home on October 28, 2022, and struck Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer. At the time, Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was still the Speaker of the House of Representatives and was in Washington. Paul Pelosi suffered unconsciousness, skull fractures requiring surgery, and injuries to his hands and right arm. He spent several days in the hospital.
After the conviction, Nancy Pelosi’s spokesperson issued a statement praising Paul Pelosi’s bravery in testifying at the state trial, as he had in the federal case.
The statement highlighted Paul Pelosi’s extraordinary courage and fortitude during his nearly 20-month recovery and expressed the family’s gratitude for the support they received. The family will not comment further until sentencing is complete.
Evidence in the federal trial revealed DePape’s motivation rooted in right-wing conspiracy theories, including QAnon, Holocaust denial, and political accusations against Hunter Biden and George Soros. DePape’s defense attorneys did not contest the evidence at either trial but focused on his state of mind and how conspiracy theories consumed him.
During the federal trial, DePape testified that he intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi, interrogate her, and break her kneecaps if she lied.
However, upon breaking in, he found her husband, then 82, asleep in his bed. DePape claimed he attacked Paul Pelosi in reaction to his original plan going awry. “He was never my target, and I’m sorry that he got hurt,” DePape said.
