Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Subpoenaed in California Criminal Case

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) answers questions during her weekly news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 15, 2022. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been subpoenaed in a third-party criminal case in California, officials announced on Nov. 1.

Reading Clerk Tylease Alli informed the House of the subpoena on the floor during the Nov. 1 session, during which lawmakers also debated—and ultimately failed to pass—a resolution to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from the House of Representatives.

Ms. Alli read out a lengthy message from Ms. Pelosi in the chamber informing her fellow lawmakers of the California case, as is the standard process when a House member is issued a judicial subpoena, regardless of whether it’s related to a civil or criminal matter.

“This is to notify you formally, pursuant to rule 8 of the rules of the House of Representatives, that I, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, speaker emerita and U.S. 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 [in the] United States District Court for the Northern District of California,” the reading clerk said.

“After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I have determined that compliance with subpoenas is consistent with the privileges and rights of the House to the extent it requires production of non-privileged information. The responses to the subpoenas will be identical.”

Ms. Alli didn’t provide further details regarding the case in which Ms. Pelosi, 83, has been summoned.

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The House of Representatives declined to comment when contacted by The Epoch Times, citing ongoing legal matters.

Police body camera footage showing Paul Pelosi being attacked in his home in October 2022. (San Francisco Police Department)

Paul Pelosi Attacker to Face Trial

The former House speaker’s subpoenas come as the trial is set to begin for David DePape, the Canadian citizen who allegedly attacked Ms. Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, inside their San Francisco home last year.

According to prosecutors, the suspect broke into the residence in the early morning hours of Oct. 28 and attacked Mr. Pelosi, then 82, by striking him in the head with a hammer.

Police stated that they later found a roll of tape, white rope, a second hammer, rubber and cloth gloves, and zip ties inside Mr. DePape’s backpack during a search.

Prosecutors say the attack was politically motivated and that Mr. DePape sought to “detain and injure” the former House speaker during the incident and smash her kneecaps so that she would be left using a wheelchair.

She would then need to be “wheeled into Congress, which would show other members of Congress there were consequences to actions,” Mr. DePape allegedly told FBI agents, according to court documents.

Mr. DePape has since apologized for “messing up” during the incident and claimed that he carried out the attack because people’s individual liberties were being threatened.

Concerns Over Biased Trial Jury

“I want to apologize to everyone. I messed up. What I did was really bad. I’m so sorry I didn’t get more of them. It’s my own fault. No one else is to blame. I should have come better prepared,” he reportedly told local media outlet KATU-TV in January.

Family members and friends of Mr. DePape have suggested that he may have been struggling with mental health issues ahead of the alleged attack.

Mr. DePape is facing both state and federal charges stemming from the October 2022 incident. He’s also accused of making threats to kidnap Ms. Pelosi and other officials.

In August, lawyers for Mr. DePape raised concerns that the San Francisco jury pool in the trial would be biased, resulting in an unfair trial, and sought to move the trial to Eureka, California, via a motion submitted to the court. Lawyers for the suspect noted, in part, Ms. Pelosi’s prominence in the district.

However, that motion was ultimately struck down by a judge, who noted that the case likely received widespread coverage in Eureka too.

Mr. DePape has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges and is set to go on trial on Nov. 9.

Mr. Pelosi is scheduled to testify during the second week of the trial on Nov. 13, according to reports.