The man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi’s husband was caught up in conspiracies, defense says
FILE - In this image taken from San Francisco Police Department body-camera video, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Paul Pelosi, right, fights for control of a hammer with his assailant David DePape during a brutal attack in the couple's San Francisco home on Oct. 28, 2022. Opening statements are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2023, in the federal trial of the man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home seeking to kidnap her and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer.
FILE - Paul Pelosi attends a portrait unveiling ceremony for his wife, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in Statuary Hall at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 14, 2022. Opening statements are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2023, in the federal trial of the man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home seeking to kidnap her and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer.
FILE - Police tape blocks a street outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi in San Francisco on Oct. 28, 2022. Opening statements are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2023, in the federal trial of the man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home seeking to kidnap her and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer.
FILE 无毛视频� David DePape is shown in Berkeley, Calif., on Dec. 13, 2013. Opening statements are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2023, in the federal trial of the man accused of breaking into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home seeking to kidnap her and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer. DePape was charged with attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official in the attack against Paul Pelosi in the early hours of Oct. 28, 2022.
A pedestrian passes the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse where the federal trial of David DePape is underway in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Prosecutors say DePape broke into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home and bludgeoned her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer in Oct. 2022.
Visitors line up to enter the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse where the federal trial of David DePape is underway in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. Prosecutors say DePape broke into former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home and bludgeoned her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer in Oct. 2022.
Nebosvod 'Sky' Gonzalez, David DePape's son, speaks with reporters outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse where DePape's federal trial is underway in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. DePape is accused of breaking into former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges.
Gypsy Taub, David DePape's ex-girlfriend, speaks with reporters outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse where DePape's federal trial is underway in San Francisco on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. DePape is accused of breaking into former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home and bludgeoning her husband with a hammer. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) 无毛视频� The man accused of bludgeoning former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi无毛视频檚 husband with a hammer was caught up in conspiracies when he broke into her San Francisco home last year, his defense attorney said as his trial opened Thursday.
The attack on then-82-year-old Paul Pelosi in the early hours of Oct. 28, 2022, sent shockwaves through the political world just days before last year无毛视频檚 midterm elections.
Defense attorney Jodi Linker said Thursday she won无毛视频檛 dispute that her client David DePape attacked Paul Pelosi, an encounter caught on police body camera video. Instead, she will argue that he believed 无毛视频渨ith every ounce of his being无毛视频� that he was taking action to stop government corruption and the abuse of children by politicians and actors.
无毛视频淭his is not a 无毛视频榳hodunit.无毛视频� But what the government fails to acknowledge is the 无毛视频榳hydunit,无毛视频� and the why matters in this case,无毛视频� she said.
DePape pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official with intent to retaliate against the official for performance of their duties. The crux of Linker无毛视频檚 argument is that DePape is not guilty of the charges because he was not after Nancy Pelosi to try to stop her from engaging in her official duties.
无毛视频淭hese beliefs matter because both charges require that the government prove that Mr. DePape acted because of her performance of her official duties as a member of Congress,无毛视频� Linker said. She said DePape无毛视频檚 beliefs are 无毛视频渨holly unrelated to Nancy Pelosi无毛视频檚 official duties.无毛视频�
Federal prosecutor Laura Vartain Horn told jurors that DePape started planning the attack in August and that the evidence and FBI testimony will show he researched his targets online, collecting phone numbers and addresses, even paying for a public records service to find information about Nancy Pelosi and others.
During her opening statement, Vartain Horn showed a photo of Paul Pelosi lying in a pool of blood. She also played a call DePape made to a television station repeating conspiracy theories.
无毛视频淭he evidence in this case is going show that when the defendant used this hammer to break into the Pelosi无毛视频檚 home he intended to kidnap Nancy Pelosi,无毛视频� Vartain Horn said, holding a hammer inside a plastic evidence bag.
Prosecutors showed body camera video of DePape admitting to the attack while speaking to police and paramedics outside the Pelosis无毛视频� home.
无毛视频淭here is no denying what I did. Cops watched me do it,无毛视频� he said.
Paul Pelosi is expected to testify next week.
DePape posted rants on a blog and an online forum about aliens, communists, religious minorities, and global elites. He questioned the results of the 2020 election and echoed the baseless, right-wing QAnon conspiracy theory that claims the U.S. government is run by a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles. The websites were taken down shortly after his arrest.
If convicted, he faces life in prison. He also has pleaded not guilty to charges in state court of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary and other felonies. A state trial has not been scheduled.
In the courtroom Thursday were Christine Pelosi, one of the Pelosis无毛视频� daughters, as well as Gypsy Taub, DePape无毛视频檚 ex-girlfriend, and Taub无毛视频檚 and DePape无毛视频檚 two sons. Taub called DePape无毛视频檚 name softly and blew a kiss, and he smiled and waved in return.
A Canadian citizen, DePape moved to the United States more than 20 years ago after falling in love with Taub, a Berkeley pro-nudity activist well-known in the Bay Area, his stepfather, Gene DePape said. In recent years, David DePape had been homeless and struggling with drug abuse and mental illness, Taub told local media.
Federal prosecutors say DePape smashed his shoulder through a glass panel on a door in the back of the Pelosis无毛视频� Pacific Heights mansion and confronted a sleeping Paul Pelosi, who was wearing boxer shorts and a pajama top.
无毛视频淲here无毛视频檚 Nancy? Where无毛视频檚 Nancy?无毛视频� DePape asked, standing over Paul Pelosi around 2 a.m. holding a hammer and zip ties, according to court records. Nancy Pelosi was in Washington and under the protection of her security detail, which does not extend to family members.
Paul Pelosi called 911 and two police officers showed up and witnessed DePape strike him in the head with a hammer, knocking him unconscious, court records showed.
Nancy Pelosi无毛视频檚 husband of 60 years later underwent surgery to repair a skull fracture and injuries to his right arm and hands.
After his arrest, DePape, 43, allegedly told a San Francisco detective that he wanted to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage. He said that if she told him the truth, he would let her go and if she lied, he was going to 无毛视频渂reak her kneecaps无毛视频� to show other members of Congress there were 无毛视频渃onsequences to actions,无毛视频� according to prosecutors.
DePape, who lived in a garage in the Bay Area city of Richmond and had been doing odd carpentry jobs to support himself, allegedly told authorities he had other targets, including a women无毛视频檚 and queer studies professor, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks and President Joe Biden无毛视频檚 son Hunter.
The professor, who is also expected to testify next week, was DePape无毛视频檚 main target and DePape went to the Pelosis无毛视频� home to have Nancy Pelosi 无毛视频渓ure her out,无毛视频� Linker said.
San Francisco Police Acting Lt. O无毛视频機onnor, who helped process the crime scene, testified she collected a sleeping bag and two backpacks from the Pelosis无毛视频� patio that DePape allegedly brought with him. Items in the backpacks included a sledgehammer, zip ties, gloves, duct tape, cash, a Canadian passport, a Canadian birth certificate, men无毛视频檚 clothes, a video game console, and two inflatable, multicolor unicorn costumes, she said. ___ This story has been corrected to show that defense attorney Jodi Linker said her client believed 无毛视频渨ith every ounce of his being,无毛视频� not 无毛视频渨ith every ounce of his body.无毛视频�