Nancy Pelosi gets subpoenaed by California as husband’s attacker heads to trial

AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker Emerita of the House from California, informed Congress on Wednesday that she has received a subpoena in connection to a federal criminal case underway in California, coinciding with the impending trial of the individual who assaulted her husband.

In a formal announcement, pursuant to House rules, the Clerk conveyed Pelosi's notification: “This is to notify you formally pursuant to Rule Eight of the rules of the House of Representatives, that I, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, and US Representative for the 11th Congressional District of California, have been served with third-party subpoenas from the prosecution and the defendant to produce documents in a criminal case and United States District Court for the Northern District of California.”

“After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I have determined that compliance with the subpoenas is consistent with the privileges of the House to the extent it requires the production of non-privileged information. The responses to the subpoenas will be identical,” Pelosi’s statement continued, the New York Post reported.

Pelosi has consulted with the House's legal counsel and determined that providing documents as required by the subpoena does not conflict with the privileges of the House, as long as the information is not protected by privilege. The submissions in response to the subpoenas will be the same from both sides, Pelosi's statement confirmed.

While Pelosi's spokesman would not discuss the ongoing legal proceedings, a source indicated to the New York Post that the subpoena is connected to the incident involving David DePape. In October 2022, DePape, then 42, forcibly entered Pelosi's San Francisco residence and attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer.

During the intrusion, DePape confronted Paul Pelosi demanding to see Nancy and threatened him prior to Pelosi’s successful emergency call.

Police body camera footage later showed DePape brandishing a hammer when opening the door and then menacingly lifting it over Paul Pelosi. As a result of the assault, Paul Pelosi was admitted to a hospital for surgery to address a skull fracture among other injuries.

The court docket shows two sealed subpoenas dated September 19, 2023.

David DePape faces charges following his indictment on November 9, 2022, which includes attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on a family member of a federal official. The combined maximum sentence for these charges is 50 years imprisonment if convicted.