Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), testified on Monday in the federal trial of his accused attacker. David DePape allegedly struck the 82-year-old man with a hammer in his home in Oct. 2022.
In riveting testimony, he described being awakened by a “very large man” at the door of his San Francisco residence. Pelosi said DePape “came in with a hammer in one hand and some ties in the other hand. He said ‘where’s Nancy’ and that woke me up.”
Pelosi said his alleged attacker was less than five feet from him when he awakened.
He described the “tremendous shock” at realizing that his home was broken into. Pelosi said he realized he was in danger and attempted to remain calm.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told the courtroom that investigators believe DePape entered through a rear window before going to the bedroom where Pelosi was sleeping.
Paul Pelosi expected to testify in federal hammer attack trial https://t.co/LML6aNKiEC https://t.co/LML6aNKiEC
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) November 13, 2023
The former Speaker’s husband said he was told that his attacker would tie him up while they waited for Nancy Pelosi to return from the nation’s capital. The alleged victim was able to get his phone from the bathroom and call the police before it was snatched away.
Pelosi testified that he told DePape, “Since all your stuff is downstairs, why don’t we go downstairs, you can tie me up and you can get some sleep.”
As responding officers arrived, Pelosi said he reached for DePape’s hand that was holding the hammer. That is when he was pushed away and struck.
He recalled waking up in a puddle of blood and being put into an ambulance and transported to the hospital.
Pelosi told the court that he has yet to discuss the attack with anyone and is attempting to avoid reliving it. “It’s a year later and I’m trying to put it out of my mind.”
The 43-year-old suspect is charged with attempted kidnapping of a federal official as well as attacking an immediate family member of a federal official with intent to retaliate against the official for performance of their duties.
DePape pleaded not guilty to all charges and faces life in prison if convicted.
His defense attorneys stated he became obsessed with conspiracy theories over corruption among government officials. Prosecutors produced several law enforcement authorities as witnesses and said that DePape planned the attack for several months.
