The man who attacked former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) husband was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Friday.
In November 2023, a jury convicted David DePape of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer at the Pelosis’ residence in California.
The jury also found that DePape was guilty of attempting to kidnap Nancy Pelosi, even though she was not home at the time.
DePape’s sentencing came after the Department of Justice wrote a letter on May 10 saying that a sentence of 30 years in prison was “not sufficient to meet the sentencing goals.”
“The defendant planned and unleashed violence and has stayed true to his belief that his actions were necessary,” prosecutors wrote. “The sentencing factors compel the statutory maximums recommended here and demonstrate that the 30 years maximum on the count with the most significant statutory maximum is not sufficient to meet the sentencing goals.”
Federal prosecutors added that DePape should receive a sentence of 20 years in prison for “Count One,” which was related to attempted kidnapping, and a sentence of 30 years in prison for “Count Two,” which was related to assault, along with “20 years on Count Two to run consecutive to Count One.”
“The Court should also impose a term of three years of supervised release on Count One and five years on Count 2 and a $100 special assessment per count,” prosecutors continued.
Prosecutors explained that this would result in a prison sentence of “40 years” in custody.
DePape, a Canadian former nudist activist, came to the Pelosis’ home in October 2022 with the intention of speaking to Nancy about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
When he arrived at the home, DePape instead came across 82-year-old Paul and repeatedly asked, “Where’s Nancy?”
In November 2023, DePape testified before a federal jury about how he had planned to talk with Nancy “about Russian involvement” during the 2016 presidential election, dress up in an “inflatable unicorn costume, and upload his interrogation” online, the Guardian reported.
During his testimony, DePape expressed his apologies that he had hurt Paul.
“He was never my target, and I’m sorry that he got hurt,” DePape said.
Video footage of the incident shows the door opening to Nancy and Paul Pelosi’s home, showing DePape and Paul, the latter wearing what appears to be a button-down shirt and underwear. Police officers instructed DePape to drop the hammer, to which he said, “Nope” before wrestling the hammer out of Paul’s hand and swinging it towards him.
DePape’s attack left Paul with a skull fracture and other injuries to his arms. Paul underwent successful surgery for his skull following the attack.
Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley explained in court that she had taken into account that DePape had no criminal history and was easily susceptible to conspiracy theories but said that the violence during the attack was “completely gratuitous,” according to the New York Times.