Luigi Mangione is being surveilled—and not just by his American fans. Lawyers say that someone is spying on the alleged killer and illegally listening to his private phone calls.
Mangione—the suspect in healthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s shooting—pleaded not guilty to federal murder charges on Friday. During his arraignment, his attorneys alleged in court that prosecutors were “eavesdropping” on Mangione’s highly confidential conversations.
“We were just informed by state court prosecutors that they were eavesdropping on his attorney calls,” his lawyer, Karen Agnifilo, said. “They said it was inadvertent that they listened to a call between Mangione and me. I am the lead attorney.”
Although she said that the alleged eavesdropping was unintended, she reiterated that measures must be put in place to uphold the sacred attorney-client privilege and ensure that Mangione has full privacy.
Judge Margaret Garnett ordered Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Gentile to provide a letter by May 2 that assures the court there’s an “appropriate line” for Mangione to speak to his attorney.
She also told Gentile to provide information on what the government is doing to protect Mangione’s rights to private calls. Gentile affirmed that he would look into the matter.
Prosecutors are allowed to listen to recorded jail phone calls, but they are prohibited from doing so if the conversation is between an attorney and their client.
Mangione, 26, became a folk hero when he allegedly shot the multi-million dollar healthcare CEO in broad daylight outside of a New York hotel. Two spent shell castings found at the scene had the words “deny,” “depose,” and “delay” etched on them, echoing a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. After a five-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania.
The Dec. 4 killing saddened many, but millions of others rallied behind Mangione, seeing him as a cultural hero for drawing attention to what some see as oppression in the healthcare industry. Hundreds have gathered for “Free Luigi” rallies in recent weeks, and a crowdfunding effort to support his legal defense has reportedly raised more than half a million dollars.
Mangione arrived at his arraignment, packed with fans—=, in khaki jail garb. It was a different style choice than his pretrial hearing at the New York State Supreme Court, during which he wore a dark green knit sweater and brown loafers without socks.
Mangione remained emotionless as the judge read out the charges and looked down when the judge mentioned Thompson.
The judge ordered the government to complete discovery by May 27 and aims to have a trial date set by December 5. The federal government is seeking the death penalty for Mangione.
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