AP Photo/Susan Walsh
David DePape, the man who attacked former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer in October 2022, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Pelosi suffered a fractured skull as well as injuries to his arm and hand during the attack. His wife, who served two stints as speaker and continues to serve in the House of Representatives, had called on the court to hand down a “very long” sentence for DePape in a letter.
“Paul and I have not discussed the events of that horrible night,” wrote Pelosi. “Paul doesn’t want to undergo revisiting it, and the doctors’ advice is that discussing the vicious assault would only renew his trauma.”
The victim himself told the court that he continues to suffer as a result of the attack.
“I walk slowly and have difficulty with my balance. Nearly every day I get headaches that become migraines unless quickly addressed,” he stated in another letter. “I need to sleep during the day and cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for extended periods of time.”
The attack took place after DePape broke into the Pelosis’ home in search of Nancy Pelosi, who was still serving as speaker at the time of the incident. According to DePape himself, his plan was to hold her hostage and “break her kneecaps” if she did not tell him the truth.
In addition to the 30-year sentence doled out in federal court, DePape also faces state charges in California that include attempted murder. He could face a life sentence if convicted.
DePape’s defense attorney has said that he was motivated by various right-wing conspiracy theories he had found online and believed “with every ounce of his being.”
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com
