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Presented by YES on 26, NO on 27 - Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gaming: Jeremy B. White and Lara Korte’s must-read briefing on politics and government in the Golden State | | | | |  | | By Lara Korte , Jeremy B. White , Sakura Cannestra and Owen Tucker-Smith | Presented by YES on 26, NO on 27 - Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gaming | THE BUZZ: Charges filed yesterday against suspected assailant David DePape unearthed more shocking details about the attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s husband — including ones that seemed to intentionally counter disinformation swirling around the disturbing incident. High-profile conservatives, including Donald Trump Jr. and Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins , have fueled a discredited version of events in recent days. Among the unfounded claims: that a third person was in the house; and that DePape was arrested in his underwear. Both claims have been knocked down by authorities, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from running amok. Baseless claims and jokes about a relationship between Paul Pelosi and the attacker have spread rapidly in conservative circles. Trump Jr. on Sunday retweeted a “Paul Pelosi” Halloween costume featuring men’s underwear and a hammer. Fox’s Tucker Carlson made mention of it, too. That could be the reason for a peculiar detail recounted by San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins on Monday when she discussed the charges against DePape, 42. As Jenkins tells it, the assailant broke in through a glass door and made his way to the bedroom of Mr. Pelosi, who “was wearing a loose fitting pajama shirt and boxer shorts.” Jenkins also noted that there were just two people in the house when authorities arrived. Similarly, an affidavit accompanying federal charges filed Monday noted multiple times that, contrary to baseless claims spread online, Paul Pelosi did not know the intruder and had never seen him before — facts he relayed to the 911 dispatcher and law enforcement officers. | 
A pair of FBI agents work outside the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul Pelosi in San Francisco, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. | Eric Risberg/AP Photo |
Those details underscore the intense scrutiny authorities are facing as they gather details and attempt to prosecute a man who allegedly went after one of the nation’s most well known — and, at times, most vilified — politicians.
DePape told authorities, per the federal affidavit, that he viewed the speaker as the “leader of the pack of lies” told by the Democratic party, and that he intended to hold her hostage until she “told the truth,” or else he would break her kneecaps. Even after Paul Pelosi called 911, DePape said he stayed in the house because “much like the American founding fathers with the British, he was fighting against tyranny without the option of surrender.” You can read more details on the charges here. Jenkins, who has vowed to prosecute DePape to the “fullest extent of the law,” said it’s essential that the public get the correct facts. “We, of course, do not want distorted facts floating around — certainly not in a manner that is further traumatizing a family that's already been traumatized enough given the nature of this incident,” she told reporters. DePape now faces 13 years to life under the state charges, which include attempted murder. He is set to be arraigned this afternoon. Jenkins said her office will file a motion to hold him without bail. BUENOS DÍAS, good Tuesday morning. Feliz día de los Muertos, Playbook readers. We hope you all had a festive and safe Halloween. Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte . Send us your political mailers! We’re looking to bring more transparency to the elections process. How you can help: Send us photos of the campaign ads you’ve gotten in the mail. You can upload photos here or email them to mailers@politico.com . QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Nancy Pelosi, well, she’s got protection when she’s in D.C. — apparently her house doesn’t have a lot of protection.” Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake drawing a big laugh on the campaign trail Monday as she made light of the attack on Paul Pelosi. TWEET OF THE DAY
|  Today's Tweet of the Day | Twitter | WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official announced. | | | | A message from YES on 26, NO on 27 - Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gaming: Cardroom casinos have a well-documented history of flouting the law and have been fined millions of dollars for violating anti-money laundering laws, racketeering, and illegal gambling. Now, cardroom casinos and their gambling bankers are spending millions attacking California Indian tribes and tribal gaming. Hold these bad actors accountable! Get the Facts about Cardroom Casinos: www.FactsAboutCardrooms.com | | | |  | TOP TALKERS | | — “ Newsom campaigned on building 3.5 million homes. He hasn’t gotten even close ,” by CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias: “Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigned on housing production, an issue important to many Californians. But despite some accomplishments, the housing crisis is worse now than when he took office.” REACHING HIGHER — “ California banned affirmative action in 1996. Inside the UC struggle for diversity ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Teresa Watanabe: “As the U.S. Supreme Court opens oral arguments Monday on whether to strike down affirmative action in cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina, UC’s long struggle to bring diversity to its 10 campuses offers lessons on the promise and limitations of race-neutral admission practices.” | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | BUOYED BY OIL — “ Last-minute oil millions flowing to moderate California Democrats are a ‘double-edged sword’ ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Lindsey Holden: “The last-minute largesse is coming as oil companies have have taken a PR beating. California gas prices recently spiked and remain about $2 higher than the national average, according to AAA.” — “ Would Prop. 1 allow abortions after fetal viability? Legal experts say no ,” by CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff: “Opponents of Proposition 1 argue it would expand California abortion law to allow late-term procedures for any reason, but the measure’s supporters and legal experts dispute that interpretation.” SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF — “ California Assembly Speaker duel splits Democratic funding, unity ahead of election ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Stephen Hobbs and Lindsey Holden: “Those loyal to Anthony Rendon, the Los Angeles County Democrat who has been Speaker since 2016, counter that [Assemblymember Robert] Rivas will only take over if and when he gets the support — and right now he doesn’t have it.” | | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | | | CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR | | — “ Ex-girlfriend of suspect in Paul Pelosi attack says he struggled with mental illness, drugs, believed he was ‘Jesus for a year’ ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Nora Mishanec: “[Ex-girlfriend Oxane] Taub remembered [David] DePape, 42, as a ‘shy and sweet’ person who once supported her well-documented fight against San Francisco’s public nudity laws. FLOODGATES GATEKEPT — “ Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study finds ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Louis Sahagún and Sean Greene: “The study, which was published Monday in the journal Nature Sustainability, does not predict when the next 100-year flood will occur. However, the paper is among the first to examine how whiplashing weather extremes due to climate change may impact the Los Angeles Basin — a region whose development was guided by deep social and racial divisions that favored white residents.” — “ In California’s Wine Country, Some Towns Ban New Gasoline Stations, ” by the Wall Street Journal’s Zusha Elinson: “Local leaders say the laws are part of an effort to fight climate change in a region that has been devastated by wildfires and drought. They also say there is increasingly less need for gas stations in the area, as state data show electric vehicles are more common in Marin, Napa and Sonoma than the nation at large.” OUT OF SIGHT… — “ Gov. Newsom’s spending to clear California’s homeless encampments. What has he done so far? ” by the Mercury News’ Marisa Kendall: “In the Bay Area, the money is earmarked for a wide range of ambitious projects – from building tiny homes in Oakland and leasing a hotel in Berkeley, to hiring social workers in San Rafael and funding rent and housing deposits for people in Santa Cruz. There’s little to show for it yet, and some projects have run into delays due to staffing shortages and City Council scheduling.” …STILL IN MIND — “ Sacramento County has $62 million for homeless shelters. What’s holding up new sites? ” by the Sacramento Bee’s Theresa Clift: “Sacramento County last week voted to fund one of its largest-ever homeless shelters, moving to buy a North Highlands warehouse and parking lot for $23 million. That’s a big deal, but the purchase also draws attention to a pot of money county officials have had since June that could be used to open more shelters and more designated camping sites.” — “ Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith resigns in apparent bid to thwart corruption trial ,” by the Mercury News’ Robert Salonga: “Ironically, Smith could have resolved the case without trial had she taken up prosecutors on their offer to drop the corruption accusations if she resigned by July 15, but she pushed ahead.” — “ PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California ,” by the Sacramento Bee’s Dale Kasler: “California narrowly avoided blackouts in early September, shortly after Newsom signed the bill, during a string of 110-degree-plus days.” | | | | A message from YES on 26, NO on 27 - Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gaming:   | | | | | BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL | | OBAMA BACK-UP — Democrats turn to Obama to rescue them from a midterm shellacking , by POLITICO’s Christopher Cadelago: If anyone’s looking to be rescued in this final stretch before the midterms, it’s the Democratic Party. And it’s turning, yet again, to the 44th president to save them from freefall. RETURN TO TAX RETURNS — “ Trump asks Supreme Court to block House Dems from getting tax returns ,” by Axios’ Erin Doherty: “His request comes after a federal appeals court last week declined the former president's request to block the release of his tax returns, CNN reports.” | | SILICON VALLEYLAND | | IN MUSK’S TWITTER — “ Elon Musk Ousts Twitter Board, Named Sole Director ,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Dean Seal: “Twitter said in a securities filing Monday that the nine members of its former board are no longer directors as of the consummation of the $44 billion merger, which closed last Thursday after six months of hand-wringing over the deal’s fate.” MUSK’S MEANS — “ Musk’s inner circle worked through weekend to cement Twitter layoff plans ,” by the Washington Post’s Elizabeth Dwoskin and Faiz Siddiqui: “Alex Spiro, a well-known celebrity lawyer who has represented Musk for several years, led those conversations. Spiro is taking an active role in managing several teams at Twitter, including legal, government relations, policy and marketing, according to four people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe them, as well as tweets from some of the people involved.” | | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, “At a Crossroads: America’s Defense Strategy” on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America’s national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | MIXTAPE | | — “ Shark knocks surfer off board 100 yards from Northern California shore ,” by the Bay City News. NEW HEIGHTS — “ The story of an 8-year-old climbing Yosemite's El Capitan was everywhere. But was it true? ” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Gregory Thomas. — “ Man pretending to be a Stanford student lived on campus for almost a year ,” by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Jessica Flores. — “ In Just 2 Weeks, 223K Applied For Section 8 Housing In Los Angeles ,” by the LAist’s David Wagner. DIVIDED WE STAND — “ Judge blocks Penguin Random House takeover of Simon & Schuster ,” by the Los Angeles Times’ Meg James. | | TRANSITIONS | | HOWLE ABOUT THAT — Former state auditor Elaine Howle is joining Balance Public Relations as chief strategist. | | BIRTHDAYS | | Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) … Apple CEO Tim Cook … Sonia Sroka | | | | A message from YES on 26, NO on 27 - Coalition for Safe, Responsible Gaming: Cardroom casinos are contributing millions to politicians to curry political favors. These bad actor cardroom casinos have dished out more than $50,000,000 on contributions to politicians, party bosses and other political campaigns. It's time to finally crack down on cardroom casino's unlawful gambling and criminal activity.
Learn more about cardroom casinos: www.FactsAboutCardrooms.com | | | CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your next move. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Pro provides policy professionals with the in-depth reporting and tools they need to get ahead of policy trends and political developments shaping the Golden State. To learn more about the exclusive insight and analysis this -only service offers, click here . Want to make an impact? POLITICO California has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Golden State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
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