Lawyers for Luigi Mangione say the government’s plan to seek the death penalty for the 26-year-old charged with stalking and killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson is a “political stunt” and should be taken off the table.
Mangione’s attorneys filed a motion Friday arguing that the federal government should be precluded from seeking a death sentence in the court case, referring to the act as “explicitly and unapologetically political,” according to court documents.
The court filing comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Attorney General Pam Biondi said she intends to seek the death penalty for Mangione stating that it follows President Donald Trump’s “agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
In the motion, Mangione’s defense team cited Biondi’s statements — and other social media posts and television appearances in which the Attorney General expressed support for the death penalty — and argued that it violates their client’s right to due process. They cited a pattern of behavior by Bondi’s office intended to paint her as someone solely interested in pursuing a political agenda with little regard for the law.
One of the instances they cite is the Trump administration’s handling of Mayor Eric Adams’ criminal case which a judge recently dismissed. The DOJ lost several Republican staffers over its decision to dismiss the case, including the former acting U.S. Attorney.
“There was no question as to the quality of the evidence or the propriety of the charges,” Mangione’s lawyers wrote.
The motion also cites the illegal deportation of Abrego Garcia to a prison in El Salvador. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Garcia released this week.
“The record is clear. The Court does not need any more information than it now has to conclude that the Attorney General’s order to execute Mr. Mangione is arbitrary, political and a breach of the established death penalty protocol,” reads the motion from attorneys Karen Agnifilo and Avi Moskowitz.
Mangione is facing federal charges for the death of Thompson, as well as numerous state charges, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, which carries a life sentence.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. The Department of Justice did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
