- A good year and a half after the hammer attack on the husband of top US politician Nancy Pelosi, the assassin was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
- This was announced by the responsible judge in San Francisco, as US media consistently reported.
- Paul Pelosi’s attacker was found guilty by a jury in November of attempted kidnapping of a public official and assault of an immediate family member of a public official.
The act sparked horror and a debate about politically motivated violence in the USA. Pelosi, now 84, was attacked and seriously injured in the couple’s home in San Francisco at the end of 2022 – a few days before the US congressional elections.
Legend:
Paul Pelosi suffered serious injuries during the attack and required surgery on his hands.
Keystone/J. Scott Applewhite
He required surgery after the attack for a fractured skull and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. The perpetrator was targeting then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi herself, but did not find her during the attack. He was arrested at the scene. The public prosecutor’s office had demanded 40 years in prison.
Conspiracy theories at play
Shortly after the crime, US media revealed that the man was interested in various conspiracy theories and lies from former US President Donald Trump about alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election on his online profiles.
The police said at the time that the perpetrator had planned to take the then chairwoman of the US House of Representatives hostage and “break her kneecaps”. He wanted to force the Democrat into a wheelchair to show other members of Congress that their “actions have consequences.”
A spokesperson for the Pelosis said the family couldn’t be prouder of Paul and his courage in saving his own life on the night of the attack and coming forward about it afterwards. He did not comment on the verdict itself.