On Friday, a state court convicted a right-wing conspiracy theorist of various charges for attacking the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., with a hammer. This comes after the individual was already convicted in federal court last year.
David DePape has been found guilty by a California jury on charges of kidnapping, burglary, false imprisonment, threatening a family member of a public official, and dissuading a witness.
Related posts
DePape may face additional prison time due to a state conviction. In May, a U.S. district judge sentenced him to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to kidnap and assault a family member of a federal official.
If convicted of the charges, the individual could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as per the state laws.
Pelosi continues to hold her seat in the House of Representatives.
Following Paul Pelosi’s testimony in the state trial, a statement was released on behalf of the Pelosi family via a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi. The statement commended Paul Pelosi’s “bravery” for testifying in both the federal and state cases.
According to a statement, Mr. Pelosi has shown immense bravery and strength during his recovery, which has lasted almost 20 months. The Pelosi family is appreciative of the support and well wishes they have received, but will not be commenting further until sentencing has concluded.
After suffering skull fractures, Paul Pelosi was rendered unconscious and had to be hospitalized for multiple days. He even had to undergo surgery. In addition to the head injuries, he also suffered harm to his hands and right arm.
During the federal trial, it was revealed that DePape’s actions were influenced by right-wing conspiracy theories. He had adopted the baseless beliefs propagated by QAnon, doubted the veracity of the Holocaust, and fed off of the political accusations directed towards Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, and George Soros, a billionaire who survived the Holocaust.
During both trials, DePape’s defense attorneys chose not to dispute the presented evidence. Instead, they emphasized DePape’s state of mind and how it was dominated by conspiracy theories.
DePape expressed regret for the harm caused to an individual who was not her intended target, stating, “He was never my target and I’m sorry that he got hurt.”
Daniel Trotta reported this piece of news, which was then edited by Leslie Adler.
