Luigi Mangione’s lawyers blast Trump for connecting alleged assassin to antifa in last ditch bid to dismiss charges
Lawyers for accused killer Luigi Mangione are taking direct aim at President Donald Trump, accusing him of using their client as ‘political ammunition’ and wrongly linking him to Antifa.
In a court filing submitted Friday in New York federal court, Mangione’s defense team asked a judge to dismiss the federal indictment – or at least the government’s intent to seek the death penalty – arguing that comments from Trump, the Department of Justice, and the White House have irreparably prejudiced the case.
Mangione, 27, faces two federal counts of stalking, one count of murder through the use of a firearm, and one firearms offense in connection with the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, in midtown Manhattan.
Prosecutors allege Mangione was the masked man seen on surveillance video firing the fatal shot.
In their filing, the defense accused Trump of repeatedly intervening in the case, pointing to a series of public comments and official actions they say connected Mangione to Antifa.
The lawyers cited Trump’s September 25 proclamation, ‘Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence,’ which referenced ‘the assassination of a senior healthcare executive’ as part of a trend of politically motivated violence influenced by Antifa.
Lawyers for accused killer Luigi Mangione (pictured) are taking direct aim at President Donald Trump, accusing him of using their client as ‘political ammunition’ and wrongly linking him to Antifa
In a court filing submitted Friday, Mangione’s defense team asked a judge to dismiss the federal indictment arguing that comments from Trump have irreparably prejudiced the case
The proclamation did not name Mangione, but the defense argues it clearly referred to their client.
‘Mr. Mangione is one young man, alleged to have acted alone, fighting for his life in three separate cases, against the full force and might of the entirety of the United States Government that is actively and persistently using him as a pawn to further its political agenda,’ the lawyers wrote.
‘This is the very definition of prejudicial where the consequence is death.’
The filing also cited a September 18 Fox News interview in which Trump said Mangione ‘shot someone in the back’ and called the act ‘a sickness.’
The next day, the White House-affiliated X account Rapid Response 47 shared the clip with its 1.2 million followers. According to the defense, the post was later reposted by Justice Department deputy public affairs director Chad Gilmartin, who wrote that Trump ‘is absolutely right.’
The Department of Justice declined to comment publicly on the filing, and the White House referred questions to the DOJ, NBC News reported. Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Justice.
Mangione, 27, faces two federal counts of stalking, one count of murder through the use of a firearm, and one firearms offense in connection with the December 2024 shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Prosecutors allege Mangione was the masked man seen on surveillance video firing the fatal shot
Federal prosecutors however told the court they had the posts removed after learning of them and argued the officials involved were not part of the prosecution team.
‘They operate entirely outside the scope of the prosecution team, possess no operational role in the investigative or prosecutorial functions of the Mangione matter, and are not ‘associated’ with this litigation,’ prosecutors said in a letter earlier this month.
Mangione’s attorneys also renewed allegations of political interference by Attorney General Pam Bondi, who in April directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, calling it part of ‘President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.’
In a Fox News interview that month, Bondi said, ‘If there ever was a death [penalty] case, this is one.’
The defense argues Bondi’s comments, along with Trump’s public statements, have ‘poisoned the jury pool’ and violated Mangione’s due process rights.
The judge overseeing the case previously warned DOJ officials that further public comments could lead to sanctions, The Daily Beast reported.
Mangione’s attorneys also renewed allegations of political interference by Attorney General Pam Bondi (pictured), who in April directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty, calling it part of ‘President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again’
The filing also alleges coordination between the administration and UnitedHealth executives, citing recent meetings with DOJ officials as evidence of ‘unprecedented intervention.’ The insurer is currently under federal investigation for its Medicare billing practices.
This is not the first time Mangione’s defense has sought to have the charges thrown out.
A previous motion last month accused the Trump administration of using the case to promote a ‘law and order’ agenda after Trump referred to Mangione as a ‘pure assassin’ on social media.
Mangione’s attorneys now argue that the administration’s efforts to tie him to Antifa represent a deliberate attempt to frame the case as part of a broader political narrative.
‘The government has turned Mr. Mangione’s prosecution into a political spectacle,’ the defense wrote, ‘and in doing so, has jeopardized his right to a fair trial.’
