Man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband sentenced to 30 years in prison

The man convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, according to the AP.

David DePape was convicted last year of federal kidnapping and assault charges.

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U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley imposed separate sentences of 20 and 30 years for each count, with the sentences running concurrently. During a break-in at their San Francisco residence in October 2022, DePape attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. Nancy Pelosi, who was then Speaker of the House, was in Washington, DC at the time. Prosecutors said he planned to capture the House speaker and he told police that if she had lied when confronting him, he would have broken her kneecaps. Paul Pelosi called 911 when he broke into their residence and when police arrived, they saw DePape hitting him with a hammer.

DePape also faces a series of state charges, including assault with a deadly weapon and residential burglary. A trial is expected to start this month.

Prosecutors asked for 40 years in prison; DePape's lawyers asked for 14 years in prison and wrote that the judge should take into consideration that his life has been “distorted by a long-term abusive relationship with a partner who exploited his innate vulnerabilities and plunged him into in a world of extreme beliefs where reality is not reality.” They wrote that in his relationship with Gypsy Taub, she was domineering and controlling and had cut him off from his family. They stated that his life was “still more radicalized because of his obsessive consumption of media amplifying his extreme beliefs.”

DePape's lawyers had argued that his sentence should take into account the broader context of the spread of the QAnon conspiracy theory, arguing that it was his “obsessive consumption of right-wing media that amplified similar theories demonizing people who ended up on his target list.” .” This “created a perfect storm, one that provides valuable insight into how he ended up here as well as a potential path forward.”

In his letter to the judge, Paul Pelosi wrote that “since the defendant violently broke into my home and woke me up yelling 'Where's Nancy?' At 2 a.m. on October 28, 2022, my life was irrevocably changed.

“My head injuries continue to affect my life,” he wrote. “My hair has grown back, but I have bumps on my head from hammer blows and a metal plate from skull surgery. The dizziness has not gone away. He wrote that he continues to suffer from dizziness and fell twice at home last November, “which led to extensive medical evaluations, including MRIs and nerve block injections in my neck.”

“The treatments continued until February 2024. I walk slowly and have difficulty with balance. Almost every day I have headaches that turn into migraines unless treated promptly. I need to sleep during the day and cannot tolerate bright lights or loud noises for long periods of time.

Pelosi wrote that he also continues to be emotionally traumatized by the experience and that they continue to receive threats. He also wrote that they still couldn't get the blood stains out of the driveway of their home. Nancy Pelosi also wrote to the judge that the attack “continues to be detrimental to his well-being.”

She also described the attack as “a source of sick humor – particularly for those in high positions” and that “it adds to the pain, fear and threat for those who might consider public office.” Donald Trump joked about the attack, notably during a campaign rally in November.

Aaron Bennett, Pelosi's spokesman, said in a statement: “The Pelosi family could not be more proud of their father and his immense courage in saving his life the night of the attack and in testifying in this case.” . Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to everyone who has sent love and prayers over the past eighteen months as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery.

“Given ongoing legal proceedings, Speaker Pelosi and the Pelosi family will not be making further comments on this matter at this time.”

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