Paul Pelosi Attacker Charged With Assault, Kidnapping

David DePape, the Canadian man who broke into the residence of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Paul Pelosi and proceeded to attack Paul with a hammer, was charged with two federal felony charges on Monday, which, if guilty, could keep him in prison for up to 50 years.

Last Friday, DePape broke into the San Francisco Pelosi residence in the early hours of the morning. While there is usually a noticeable security presence in the house when the Speaker is there, she was in Washington at the time, leaving only Paul at home. Armed with a hammer, DePape soon began calling out for the Speaker, causing Paul Pelosi to call the police and confront the man. DePape soon began trying to tie him up while saying that he wanted to do the same to his wife. A scuffle soon broke out, which at that time police arrived in time to see DePape start to attack Pelosi. Special agents from the U.S. Capitol Police’s California Field Office and SFPD officers quickly tackled DePape as a result and arrested him.

Pelosi was immediately sent to a nearby hospital. While his wounds were serious, with a skull fracture and injuries to his hands and wrists, the Speaker later released a report saying that he was recovering. The Speaker visited her husband in the hospital over the weekend, and the family has continued to say that it looks like he will make a full recovery. Paul Pelosi was also feeling better enough to talk with investigators from his hospital bed on Sunday, helping them put together charges faster than expected.

DePape, meanwhile, was sent to jail, with a joint SFPD, FBI, and Capitol Police investigation being launched. In the ensuing days, DePape was questioned. According to the affidavit released on Monday, DePape told prosecutors that his plan was to break into the Pelosi residence and hold her hostage, calling her the ‘leader of the pack’. He would then ask her questions. If she told the truth, she would be let go. But if she lied, DePape would break her kneecaps. He continued that he was relatively certain she would lie. The goal was to then have Pelosi wheeled into Congress in a wheelchair, as a way to show others there what the consequences would be for lying.

“DePape stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her,” said the affidavit. “If Nancy were to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.’ DePape also later explained that by breaking Nancy’s kneecaps, she would then have to be wheeled into Congress, which would show other Members of Congress that there were consequences to actions.”

In addition, DePape admitted to breaking into the Pelosi home, using the hammer to break in, and both tying up and assaulting Paul Pelosi.

As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice filed United States of America v. David Wayne DePape on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. DePape is being charged federally with one count off assault of an immediate family member of a United States official with the intent to retaliate against the official on account of the performance of official duties, and one count of attempted kidnapping of a United States official on account of the performance of official duties. With the first charge bringing as many as 30 years behind bars and the second count as many as twenty, DePape now faces as much as half a century in federal prison.

Elected officials from both sides of the aisle, including many opponents of Nancy Pelosi, gave their  support to the Pelosi family during the weekend, with a widespread condemnation of the assault. Many observers also noted that the incident proved to be a uniting factor only days before the mid-term elections, which is being fought tooth and nail between the GOP and Democrats for control of the House and Senate.

“Everyone has been pretty shocked by this,” explained Tara Weber, a former Congressional aide and current lobbyist in Washington, to the Globe on Monday. “There had been a growing number of threats going up to the Pelosi attack, but going after a family member? That was just wrong. There has been talk with both sides since then. Some people I know  on the left said that this is a result of the alt-right and conspiracy theorists influencing him, while some on the right are saying that the left is milking this for sympathy points. But the vast majority are just concerned and want to bring better protection for leadership and to protect families too, regardless of party. Because, you know, it happened to a Democrat this time. Next time it could be a Republican. Both sides know this.”

“This really horrified a lot of people, and everyone benefits in ways to help stop these nuts from doing things like this in the future.”

DePape is expected in court soon.