FACT CHECK: Was Paul Pelosi’s Attacker At The Jan. 6 Riot?
An image shared on Facebook alleges David DePape, the named suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi, attended the Jan. 6 Capitol riot with a camera.
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Verdict: False
The photo was taken in 2013 at a wedding outside of San Francisco City Hall. There is no evidence suggesting DePape attended the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot.
Fact Check:
The Justice Department charged DePape October 31, 2022 for the assault of Paul Pelosi and the attempted kidnapping of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Politico reported. DePape compared himself to the Founding Fathers and threatened to break Nancy Pelosi’s kneecaps, according to an affidavit released Monday.
The Facebook image shows a side-by-side of two photos of Depape. The photo on the left shows a photo of him from 2013, while the photo on the right allegedly shows an image of him with a camera, while at the capital on Jan. 6.
“Left is Paul’s Friend Right is cameraman from J6 Hmmmmmm?” the post reads. (RELATED: Did Justin Trudeau Blame Resentment Toward Politicians On Climate Change?)
The photo predates the Jan. 6 riots and was not taken at the U.S. Capitol. The image on the right appearing to show DePape at the Capitol instead shows him at Gypsy Taub’s 2013 nude wedding outside of San Francisco City Hall, attributed to the Associated Press. The photo on the left was taken in Berkeley California in 2013, attributed to the San Francisco Chronicle.
There are no credible news reports that support the claim that DePape participated in, or was in Washington D.C. at the time of the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021. DePape’s blog, which was taken down for terms of service violations, does not mention him at the capitol on Jan. 6.
This is not the first time images have circulated online with an inaccurate caption. Check Your Fact recently debunked a post claiming to show the U.K. Parliament members fighting in Oct. 2022.
