The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, said there was “evil in Washington” and had also planned to target President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and actor Tom Hanks, a San Francisco Police Department official testified Wednesday.
“There is evil in Washington, what they did went so far beyond the campaign. It originates with Hillary (Clinton),” David DePape told San Francisco Police Department Lt. Carla Hurley in an interview after the attack, Hurley testified during a preliminary hearing, according to CNN affiliate KPIX.
“Honestly, day in day out, they are lying. They go from one crime to another crime to another crime,” DePape added at the time, according to Hurley. He allegedly planned to kidnap Biden to discuss “all the corruption” in Washington.
The revelations came ahead of a judge’s ruling that prosecutors had shown enough evidence against DePape to advance his case to trial on state charges.
“DePape held to answer on all counts and allegations,” the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
DePape attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home in late October, while searching for the House speaker, according to court documents. Following the attack, Paul Pelosi had surgery “to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Nancy Pelosi, said at the time.
DePape previously entered a not guilty plea to all state and federal charges. He faces charges on a litany of crimes, including assault, attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, following the break-in at the couple’s home, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the San Francisco district attorney announced last month. He was also charged with one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” according to the US attorney’s office.
Court documents revealed DePape allegedly awoke a startled Paul Pelosi shortly after 2 a.m. at his bedside, carrying a large hammer and several white zip ties and demanded: “Where’s Nancy? Where’s Nancy?” He then threatened to tie up Paul Pelosi and prevented him from escaping via elevator, according to the documents. DePape later allegedly told him, “I can take you out.”
DePape told officers and medics at the scene that he was sick of the “level of lies” coming from Washington, DC, and “came here to have a little chat with [Pelosi’s] wife,” according to the court filing.
CNN previously reported that authorities believe DePape had other “targets” besides the House speaker, including other politicians.
Prosecutors played audio of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call to San Francisco police. Kyle Cagney, one of the San Francisco Police Department officers who responded to the scene, testified during the hearing and displayed the hammer used in the attack, according to KPIX.
Cagney also reviewed police body camera video during the hearing.
Newsom’s office declined to comment to CNN on DePape’s alleged plans to target the Democratic governor, citing security concerns.
Nancy Pelosi announced last month that she would step down from her leadership post after leading House Democrats for two decades. Alexandra Pelosi, the couple’s daughter, detailed in an in-depth interview with CNN this week that the attack had driven her mother’s decision to step down.
CNN’s Daniella Sills contributed to this report.
