David DePape, convicted of the vicious hammer assault on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison.
DePape received the maximum penalty of 30 years for one count and an additional 20 years for a second count, both to be served concurrently. DePape remained impassive as the judge delivered the sentence. During the court proceedings, Christine Pelosi, the couple’s daughter, read a victim impact statement.
“Today’s sentencing underscores David DePape’s utter lack of remorse and contrition for his violent assault on Mr. Pelosi,” stated U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “The court’s decision ensures that DePape will no longer be able to use violence to disrupt the political process.”
Rep. Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., and did not attend the sentencing. Following the court’s decision, the Pelosi family issued a brief statement.
“The Pelosi family couldn’t be prouder of their Pop and his tremendous courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and in testifying in this case. Speaker Pelosi and her family are immensely grateful to all who have sent love and prayers over the last eighteen months, as Mr. Pelosi continues his recovery,” the statement read.
DePape was found guilty last year of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official. Prosecutors had urged Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley to impose a 40-year prison term.
In his written victim impact statement, Paul Pelosi described how the attack has permanently altered his life.
“My head injuries continue to affect my life. My hair grew back — but I have bumps on my head from the hammer blows and a metal plate from skull surgery,” Pelosi wrote. “The dizziness has not gone away.”
He disclosed that in November 2023, 13 months after the attack, he experienced vertigo and fell twice at home, necessitating extensive medical evaluations, including MRIs and nerve block injections in his neck.
