The individual accused of assaulting former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer was reportedly entangled in conspiracy theories when he broke into her San Francisco home last year, according to his defense attorney during the trial’s opening on Thursday.

The attack on Paul Pelosi, then 82 years old, occurred in the early hours of October 28, 2022, causing ripples in the political sphere just days before the midterm elections.

Defense attorney Jodi Linker stated on Thursday that she does not intend to dispute the fact that her client, David DePape, attacked Paul Pelosi—an incident captured on police body camera video, the Associated Press reported.

Instead, she plans to argue that DePape genuinely believed, “with every ounce of his body,” that he was taking action to combat corruption and the alleged abuse of children by politicians and actors.

“This is not a ‘whodunit.’ But what the government fails to acknowledge is the ‘whydunit,’ and the why matters in this case,” she said.

DePape entered a plea of not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official, with the alleged intent to retaliate against the official for the performance of their duties.

Written by B.C. Begley