Pelosi attack suspect pleads not guilty to federal charges
A man accused in last month’s attack on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official’s family member
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man accused in last month's attack on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges of attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official's family member.
David DePape, appearing in orange clothes without handcuffs, was assigned a public defender who entered the plea on his behalf during a brief court appearance.
DePape, 42, of Richmond, a San Francisco suburb, was indicted last week on the federal charges arising from an Oct. 28 break-in at the Pelosis’ San Francisco home days before the midterm elections. The attack on Paul Pelosi happened as threats against lawmakers and election officials have been at all-time highs and authorities have issued warnings about rising extremism in the U.S.
DePape, a fringe activist drawn to conspiracy theories, also has separately pleaded not guilty to state charges of attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse.
The federal charges include assault upon an immediate family member of a U.S. official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties. That carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
A second charge alleges DePape attempted to kidnap a U.S. official on account of the performance of official duties. That could bring a maximum 20 years in prison. The indictment alleges DePape intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi.
Officers responding to Paul Pelosi’s 911 call found Paul Pelosi and DePape fighting over a hammer, the indictment alleges. An officer ordered DePape to drop the hammer but he responded, “ummm nope,” before forcefully swinging it at Paul Pelosi, it says.
The sequence lasted about 15 seconds, it says, but left Pelosi and DePape lying on the floor with blood swelling around Paul Pelosi’s head. He was treated at a hospital for a fractured skull.
Paul Pelosi told a 911 dispatcher that he was sleeping when a man he had never seen before entered his bedroom looking for Nancy Pelosi, who was in Washington, D.C. Officers later found a broken glass door to the back porch. They recovered zip ties, a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, and a pair of rubber and cloth gloves.
DePape is being held without bail in state custody.