The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi in his home on Oct. 28 has been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping by the Department of Justice.
The Justice Department announced the two federal charges on Monday against David DePape, 42, who is accused of brutally attacking the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
DePape is charged with one count of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official, which can be a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. He also is charged with one count of kidnapping, amounting to a 20-year maximum prison sentence.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE ATTACK ON PAUL PELOSI AND WHAT QUESTIONS REMAIN
The department released an FBI affidavit on Monday adding additional details to previous reports of the attack. DePape admitted to police that he planned to break Nancy Pelosi’s kneecaps to “show other members of Congress there were consequences” for their actions.
“If Nancy were to tell DEPAPE the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps,'” the affidavit stated. “DEPAPE was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth.’ In the course of the interview, DEPAPE articulated he viewed Nancy as the ‘leader of the pack’ of lies told by the Democratic Party.”
He told police he broke into the house through a glass door using a hammer and woke Paul Pelosi up in his bedroom, according to the affidavit. He said Pelosi “appeared surprised.” He said he told Paul Pelosi to wake up and that he was looking for Nancy.
Pelosi was able to call 911 at 2:23 a.m. and alert the police that DePape was in his home, the affidavit said. San Francisco police arrived at the home, and Pelosi opened the door. DePape and Pelosi were each holding the hammer with one hand. DePape took control of the hammer and violently attacked Pelosi, the affidavit said.
“At this point in the interview, DEPAPE repeated that DEPAPE did not plan to surrender and that he would go ‘through’ Pelosi,” according to the affidavit. “DEPAPE explained that Pelosi’s actions resulted in Pelosi ‘taking the punishment instead.'”
READ IN FULL: FEDERAL CHARGES LODGED AGAINST ALLEGED PAUL PELOSI ATTACKER
Officers were able to subdue DePape quickly, according to police and the affidavit. DePape told police his backpack was near the back glass door, where he had broken into the home with a hammer. Upon examination of the backpack, officers found a “roll of tape, white rope, one hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal.”
Twist ties were found in the bedroom, where DePape had planned to tie up Pelosi so DePape could “go to sleep as he was tired from having to carry a backpack to the Pelosi residence.”
At the time of the attack, Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C. She began traveling to San Francisco at about mid-Friday and spoke with her husband after the attack.
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Paul Pelosi was transferred to a San Francisco hospital following the attack and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the speaker’s office.
“Mr. Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. His doctors expect a full recovery,” said Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi. “The speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents, and people around the country.”
