Information about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi has been kept so tightly under wraps in recent weeks that a dozen mainstream media outlets including the Associated Press are now suing the district attorney's office in San Francisco to have it released to the public.

Evidence about the attack was introduced on December 14 during a preliminary hearing against the suspect, David DePape, but it was not made public and still has not been released, the AP reported.

Attorneys for the coalition of media outlets, which includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Press Democrat, CNN, Fox News, CBS, ABC, NBC and KQED, an NPR affiliate, said, “The public and press have standing to assert their rights of access to court records and proceedings.”

The evidence being suppressed includes audio from a 911 call made by Paul Pelosi, body camera video taken by the two police officers who responded to the Pelosis’ house, video of a police detective interviewing DePape, and footage captured by Capitol Police Department surveillance cameras.

DePape charges

Prosecutors argued that DePape broke into the Pelosi home to confront Nancy Pelosi, but instead attacked Paul Pelosi when his wife was not found to be at home.

DePape was arrested on the scene and has been charged with state and federal charges. On the state level, he is charged with attempted murder, burglary and elder abuse. On the federal level, they are attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting a federal official’s family member.

DePape has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. He is being held in jail without bail and his next hearing will be on February 23 to set a date for the trial.

In the initial days after the October 28 attack, the press assumed that DePape was a hard right extremist because of some things he posted online, but other details that came out about his life suggested that he was mentally ill and lived a hippie lifestyle.

More questions

A few contradictory details were reported that raised more questions about the attack before the flow of information stopped.

The actions of authorities suggest some kind of cover-up, which would surely not be occurring if DePape was really a right-wing zealot.

It is not known what the courts are trying to cover up or at whose request the cover-up is taking place.

Right-wing figures like former President Donald Trump and Twitter CEO Elon Musk have suggested that the attack may not be what it seems.

Questions like what DePape was really doing at Pelosi's house and whether the two knew each other before the attack have not been answered to everyone's satisfaction.

If the courts are forced to release the information presented in court, maybe some of these questions can get answers.