Luigi Mangione’s defense attorneys want to have his federal charges dismissed because, they say, the Trump Administration has made him “a pawn to further its political agenda.”
In newly filed court documents, lawyers for Mangione, 27, asked a judge to dismiss all three federal charges against the alleged killer, who stands accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024.
The filing accuses President Donald Trump of directly interfering in the case on multiple occasions, including by labeling Mangione a domestic terrorist and exercising “unprecedented intervention” with DOJ activity.
Mangione’s lawyers specifically pointed to Trump’s September 25 proclamation, in which he referenced the “assassination of a senior healthcare executive” as part of a growing trend of political violence influenced by Antifa, which he previously designated a domestic terrorist organization.
The proclamation, titled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,” does not explicitly name Mangione, but likens the killing to the September assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Mangione has been indicted on multiple federal charges, including stalking, a firearms offense, and murder, in connection with the shooting. He could face the death penalty for the murder charge, though his defense team is now asking the judge to take that possibility off the table.
The former data engineer initially faced a terrorism charge at the state level. However, a judge dismissed that charge last month after finding insufficient evidence that the allegations met the state definition of terrorism.
Beyond the proclamation, Mangione’s defense team also pointed to several comments that Trump made both in interviews and on TruthSocial, including a September 17 Fox News interview in which the president called Mangione a “pure assassin.”
Federal prosecutors have argued the comments are irrelevant because Trump is not directly involved with arguing the case. However, Mangione’s defense team now argues the Justice Department “has not acted independently of Trump in this case.”
In Friday’s court filing, the defense team cited several recent meetings between UnitedHealth executives and DOJ officials, which they claim are evidence of Trump conspiring with the insurance company. The DOJ is currently investigating UnitedHealthcare for its medicare billing practices.
This is not the first time Mangione’s attorneys have accused the Trump administration of attempting to prejudice the jury pool. They previously attempted to have his federal charges dismissed last month, alleging Attorney General Pam Bondi had violated Mangione’s due process rights by publicly calling for him to receive the death penalty.
Bondi directed federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against Mangione in April, calling it the next step in carrying out “President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
Just last month, the judge presiding over Mangione’s case warned Bondi that the Justice Department would face sanctions if it violated Mangione’s right to a fair trial, and said DOJ employees may have already done so.
However, Mangione’s lawyers revived their claims about Bondi in Friday’s court filing, citing an April 2025 Fox News interview in which the Attorney General said, “If there ever was a death [penalty] case, this is one.”
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