Luigi Mangione, the individual accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan on December 4 has racked up a considerable sum of donations for his legal fund.
Mangione, 26, is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as he awaits trial.
The defendant has received nearly $300,000 in donations, according to a GiveSendGo page created to help him fund his legal defense. The December 4 Legal Committee, the group who set up the fundraising page, announced on Monday that Karen Agnifilo, Mangione’s lawyer, told them he agreed to accept the donations.
We are excited to announce that we have established contact with Karen Friedman Agnifilo and the rest of Luigi's legal team, who will be accepting your donations. In response to hearing about your 10,000+ individual donations, averaging under $30, Karen stated that Luigi "very much appreciates the outpouring of support." We feel honored to provide supporters with a reliable way to continue contributing to his legal fees through any future donations.
The message further states that “Americans watched the media scramble to demonize [Mangione] as social media comments overflowed with support.” The group argues that “The average American understands who the real culprits are, despite the ghoulish display of power during his perp walk or the out of touch coverage most media pundits offer.”
They further pointed out that despite the negative media coverage, donations to the defendant have risen drastically.
Prosecutors have responded to this support by levying unprecedented terrorism charges against Luigi, which would make him eligible for the death penalty. This is fundamentally unacceptable. We are thrilled that the money raised by this campaign will go toward building the strongest possible defense against these insulting charges.
The update included a message from the Party Girls podcast and the committee, saying they “remain committed to a world where our survival and wellbeing are no longer sacrificed for another’s wealth.”
Mangione’s case was initially expected to begin in mid-February, but it has been delayed, according to NBC New York. Lawyers for the prosecution and defense asked the court for more time to prepare for pretrial proceedings.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the indictment against Mangione in mid-December, stating that his office was charging the defendant with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. One of the second-degree charges categorizes Mangion’s alleged actions as an act of terrorism.
BREAKING: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announces upgraded murder charges against suspect Luigi Mangione for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson: "Our work will never be able to undo the fact that a life was lost." https://t.co/14BOW5oAMS pic.twitter.com/I1KnBI3jjO
— ABC News (@ABC) December 17, 2024
Mangione appears to have been motivated by anger at the U.S. healthcare system, having experienced several health-related issues in the past. Law enforcement officials found a manifesto on Mangione when they arrested him. “What do you do? You whack the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention,” the suspect allegedly wrote.
Thompson’s murder took place outside of a hotel in which an insurance industry convention was taking place.