URGENT UPDATE: Attorneys for Luigi Mangione have just announced that they believe Attorney General Pam Bondi must recuse herself from his federal murder trial due to a serious conflict of interest. This development comes as Mangione faces charges for the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, who was killed on the streets of midtown Manhattan in December.
Mangione’s legal team argues that Bondi’s past as a partner at the lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which continues to represent UnitedHealthcare, creates a “profound” conflict that jeopardizes Mangione’s right to a fair trial. In a filing submitted late Friday, his defense lawyers, Karen and Marc Agnifilo, emphasized that any criminal defendant deserves a process free from the financial interests of prosecutors.
The attorneys stated, “any criminal defendant, let alone one who the government is trying to kill, is due a criminal process that is untainted by the financial interests of his prosecutors.” They are asking the court to bar prosecutors from pursuing the death penalty against Mangione and to dismiss two counts against him. A crucial hearing is set for January 9 before U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett.
This legal battle intensified after Bondi publicly indicated her intention to seek the death penalty for Mangione, linking her actions to President Trump’s agenda to combat violent crime. The defense team argues that her financial ties to Ballard Partners, which still lobbies for UnitedHealthcare, violate Mangione’s due process rights.
In earlier developments, Judge Garnett warned Bondi against making public comments about the case to ensure an impartial jury. Federal prosecutors responded in a November filing, defending their push for the death penalty, asserting that “publicity, even intense, is not novel in this district.” They noted that “high-visibility cases” are routinely managed in the Southern District of New York.
This latest filing comes shortly after a lengthy pretrial suppression hearing in New York State court, where Mangione’s defense sought to suppress statements made during his arrest and to contest the legality of a search that uncovered a gun and silencer in his backpack. A ruling on that matter is not expected until May 18.
As the case unfolds, the stakes remain high, not only for Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to both state and federal charges, but also for the integrity of the judicial process. BREAKING NEWS: NBC News has reached out for comments from both the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York and Bondi herself, as the public awaits critical developments in this high-profile case.
Stay tuned for updates as this story continues to evolve.
