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A California jury convicted David DePape of kidnapping,
burglary, false imprisonment, threatening the family member of a
public official, and dissuading a witness.
The state conviction could add more prison time for DePape, who
in May was sentenced by a U.S. district judge to 30 years in
federal prison for attempted kidnapping and assault of an
immediate family member of a federal official.
The state charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in
prison.
DePape, 44, broke into the Pelosis' San Francisco home and
struck Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer in the early
morning hours of Oct. 28, 2022, while Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat,
was still speaker of the House of Representatives and away in
Washington.
Pelosi remains a member of the House.
After the conviction, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi issued a
statement on behalf of the Pelosi family praising Paul Pelosi
for his "bravery" in testifying in the state trial, as he had in
the federal case.
"For nearly 20 grueling months, Mr. Pelosi has demonstrated
extraordinary courage and fortitude every day of his recovery.
The Pelosi family is grateful for the kind thoughts and prayers
they continue to receive," said the statement, adding that there
would be no further comment until sentencing is complete.
Paul Pelosi was knocked unconscious and hospitalized for several
days, undergoing surgery for skull fractures. He also sustained
injuries to his hands and right arm.
Evidence in the federal trial showed DePape was driven by
right-wing conspiracy theories, embracing the fictions spread by
QAnon, questioning the Holocaust, and feeding off political
accusations against Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe
Biden, and George Soros, the billionaire Holocaust survivor.
DePape's defense attorneys did not contest the evidence at
either trial, and focused on DePape's state of mind and how he
was consumed by conspiracy theories.
DePape told the federal jury he wanted to kidnap Nancy Pelosi,
interrogate her, and break her kneecaps if he found her to be
lying. But after breaking in he instead found her husband, then
age 82, asleep in his bed. DePape said the attack was a reaction
to his original plan going awry.
"He was never my target and I'm sorry that he got hurt," DePape
said.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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