A legal filing by defence lawyers could see an alleged assassin escape the federal death penalty due to a potential conflict of interest at the very top of the US Department of Justice.
The Alleged Conflict at the Heart of the Case
Luigi Mangione, 27, stands accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, outside an investor conference in December last year. Prosecutors allege the ammunition used had the words ‘delay’, ‘deny’ and ‘depose’ scribbled on it, phrases believed to reference insurance industry tactics for avoiding claims.
Following his arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the shooting, Mangione entered a plea of not guilty. Federal prosecutors formally notified the court in April of their intent to seek the death penalty, describing the killing as a ‘premeditated, cold-blooded assassination’.
Bondi's Past Links to UnitedHealth
However, in a significant development on Friday, Mangione's defence team filed a motion to have the death penalty pursuit thrown out. Their argument centres on Attorney General Pam Bondi and her previous role as a partner at Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm that counted UnitedHealth among its clients.
The defence contends that when Bondi joined the Justice Department in February, she pledged to recuse herself for one year from any matters involving former Ballard clients. They argue her direct involvement in ordering prosecutors to seek capital punishment in the Mangione case violates this ethical rule.
“This alleged conflict of interest should have caused her to recuse herself from making any decisions on this case,” the filing states. Lawyers further allege that Bondi, by potentially still profiting from her work at Ballard, holds a “financial stake in the case she is prosecuting.”
Potential Consequences and Next Steps
The defence motion requests three key actions from the court:
- Blocking prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.
- Dismissing two federal charges against Mangione.
- Excluding evidence tied to those charges.
Furthermore, the legal team has signalled its intention to subpoena internal records concerning Bondi’s earnings from Ballard and any communications she may have directed to Justice Department staff regarding either the prosecution or UnitedHealthcare.
This filing redirects attention to Mangione's case after recent court debates over evidence seized at his arrest, which includes a firearm allegedly matching the murder weapon and notebook writings describing a plan to ‘wack’ a health insurance executive.
Luigi Mangione is next scheduled to appear in court on January 9.
