The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a 40-year sentence for the man who assaulted former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband in 2022.
Prosecutors said that David DePape, the man who broke into Pelosi’s home and assaulted her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer, should face maximum penalties for both counts he was convicted of in 2023.
“The sentence imposed must accomplish both specific and general deterrence,” the prosecutors said in a memorandum filed Friday in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
“At a time when extremism has led to attacks on public and elected officials, this case presents a moment to speak to others harboring ideologically motivated violent dreams and plans,” they said. “This case presents strong deterrent value to say that violent ideological attacks will be punished to the full extent of the law.”
DePape was found guilty of assault and kidnapping charges in November last year.
He entered Pelosi’s home in the early morning of Oct. 28, 2022, and was looking for then-speaker of the lower chamber. He hit Paul Pelosi with a hammer before being apprehended by law enforcement. The former speaker was in D.C. at the time of the incident. Her husband was in the hospital for several days, suffering from a skull fracture and injuries to his arms.
He offered an apology while in court, and said Pelosi’s husband was “never” his target.
Prosecutors are seeking to label his crime as “terrorism.”
“Defendant intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism and therefore, the terrorism enhancement should apply here,” the prosecutors said.
DePape’s sentencing is set for May 17.
