The top donors to Luigi Mangione‘s legal defense fund offer several reasons as to why they are giving money to the alleged killer, from the politicization of the death penalty to fair trial concerns.

The GiveSendGo fundraiser has collected over $850,001 as of Friday morning.

Why It Matters

Mangione, 26, is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan on December 4, 2024. He was taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a manhunt that lasted five days.

He has gained significant support from some people, many of whom view his alleged actions as a stand against the health insurance industry, with supporters publicly calling for “Free Luigi.”

Mangione is facing multiple charges at the federal level, including murder through the use of a firearm. He is also charged at the state level in New York and Pennsylvania. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi asked federal prosecutors last week to pursue the death penalty for Mangione.

What To Know

Mangione’s largest donor contributed $36,500 anonymously. They raised concerns about the handling of Mangione’s cases so far.

“In Corporate America, for instance, there has been widespread doubt of potential prosecutorial mishandling and overcharging,” the donor wrote on the fundraiser’s page.

They also spoke about the support Mangione has received.

“What intrigues me about this case is how unified folks’ responses are regardless of strata,” they wrote.

The second-largest donation was $30,000 from another anonymous donor. The individual wrote that they never had to worry about medical care, but they believe the case is “likely politicized.”

The individual said it makes them “doubtful of any claimed evidence.”

An anonymous donor who gave $11,000 said the death penalty “should never be politicized,” but it may continue to be in this case given President Donald Trump‘s executive order on the death penalty.

On January 20, Trump signed an executive order entitled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety.” The order directs the attorney general to seek the death penalty “for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.”

The action ended a moratorium on federal executions put in place by former President Joe Biden‘s administration.

The donor said they are also worried about Mangione receiving a fair trial.

“I am also concerned about the severe infringement on the defendant’s right to a fair trial and due process, particularly since his juries are effectively pre-tainted,” they said.

An anonymous donor who gave $5,698 also mentioned the “politicized” death penalty and “overcharging.”

“Luigi’s constitutional rights have repeatedly been violated. The 1% is terrified of him & what he has come to represent & relentlessly pushes the presumption of guilt narrative,” the donor said.

Another anonymous donor who gave $5,000 said they found the politicization of anyone’s potential death “deeply disturbing.”

What People Are Saying

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a press release: “Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson—an innocent man and father of two young children—was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America. After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one Mangione’s lawyers, told Newsweek in a statement: “While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people.

“We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi. This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”

What Happens Next?

Mangione is scheduled to appear in federal court on April 18. The next hearing in his New York state case is set for June 26.

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