Paul Pelosi, 86, husband of Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, faces a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge stemming from an incident over the July 4th holiday weekend. The charge follows a collision where Pelosi allegedly struck a parked Tesla and drove away, with his vehicle reportedly breaking down less than half a mile from the scene in Yountville, California.
Pelosi's attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf during a court hearing. His driver's license has been referred to the Department of Motor Vehicles for evaluation due to his age. He is scheduled to appear in court again on August 24 for an expedited settlement conference.
This latest incident is not the first time Pelosi has faced legal scrutiny for his driving. Court records and reports indicate a history of traffic violations and fines accumulating to nearly $9,000 over several years.
In San Mateo County, where the Pelosis also own a home, records show Pelosi was fined $417 in June 2011 for exceeding the speed limit, driving 90 mph in a 60 mph zone. He received two additional tickets in Napa County that same year: one for crossing double yellow lines and another $490 fine for running a red light.
Further violations occurred in Marin County. In September 2014, he was fined $161 for using his cellphone while driving. The following December, he was fined $262 for failing to stop at a stop sign, though a charge for not providing proof of insurance was later dropped. In December 2017, he was cited for driving the wrong way down a one-way street, leading to a conviction and a $237 fine in March 2018.
Pelosi's most significant prior legal trouble related to driving occurred in August 2022, when he was arrested for driving under the influence in Napa County. He pleaded guilty to that charge and was given three years of probation. This resulted in a court fine of $1,723, $4,927.53 in victim restitution, and a $150 victim restitution fine.
According to reports, Pelosi was also involved in a fatal car accident as a teenager in 1957, which resulted in the death of his older brother. The charge of misdemeanor manslaughter he faced was later dismissed by a coroner's jury.
Following the July hit-and-run incident, Nancy Pelosi released a statement saying her husband had apologized to the Tesla's owner and assured them he would take responsibility for the damage.