The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants a 40-year sentence for the man who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband in 2022.
Prosecutors said David DePape, the man who unlawfully entered Pelosi’s home and assaulted assaulted her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer, should receive the harshest punishment for both charges he was found guilty of in 2023.
“The sentence must serve as a warning to prevent similar actions in the future,” the prosecutors stated in a document filed on Friday in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco.
“During a time of extremism resulting in violence against public and elected figures, this case can serve as a warning to those considering ideologically driven violent actions and plans,” they stated. “This case demonstrates the strong deterrent effect to show that violent ideological attacks will be fully punished under the law.”
DePape was convicted guilty of assault and abduction charges in November of last year.
He broke into Pelosi’s home on the early morning of October 28, 2022, intending to find the then-speaker of the lower chamber. He struck Paul Pelosi with a hammer before getting caught by law enforcement. The former speaker was in D.C. during the incident. Her husband was hospitalized for several days, suffering from a fractured skull and arm injuries.
He apologized in court and said said Pelosi’s husband was “never” his intended victim.
Prosecutors aim to characterize his offense as “terrorism.”
“The defendant intended to advance a federal terrorism offense, and therefore, the terrorism enhancement should be applied in this case,” the prosecutors stated.
DePape’s sentencing is scheduled for May 17.
