Topline
A campaign seeking to pay for the accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione’s legal defense has raised more than $100,000, while the popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe has taken down fundraisers for Mangione—whose supporters view him as an avatar for widespread distrust in the healthcare system, a reaction prosecutors called “disturbing.”
Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition … [+]
Key Facts
The fundraiser, started by a group that calls itself the December 4th Legal Committee, has brought in $111,215 as of Sunday afternoon on GiveSendGo, a Christian crowdfunding site and GoFundMe alternative, more than halfway to its $200,000 goal.
The December 4th Legal Committee, a reference to the date of the alleged murder, wrote that it is “not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation.”
There’s no indication the group that organized the fundraiser is associated with Mangione or his legal team—the December 4th Legal Committee said on the fundraiser page all proceeds will be sent directly to Mangione, and if he rejects them, they will instead be donated to “other U.S. political prisoners and defendants facing politicized charges.”
While GiveSendGo defended its decision to keep the fundraiser active, noting to ABC News Mangione’s constitutional right to presumed innocence until found guilty, GoFundMe has removed at least three fundraisers for Mangione, according to NBC News, as the site prohibits legal fundraisers for defendants of violent crimes.
Other websites have also removed content and products that celebrate Mangione, including Reddit, which reportedly took down Mangione’s account and posts linking to the manifesto he was allegedly carrying when arrested, while Amazon and Etsy have removed merchandise printed “Free Luigi” and “Deny, Defend, Depose,” the words police said were found on shell casings at the scene of Brian Thompson’s death.
What To Watch For
Magione’s Pennsylvania lawyer, Thomas Dickey, said he “probably wouldn’t” accept money from the fundraiser to represent Mangione, he told CNN, adding “Obviously my client appreciates the support that he has, but I don’t know, it just doesn’t sit right with me, really.”
Chief Critic
“Celebrating this conduct is abhorrent to me. It’s deeply disturbing,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told ABC News on Wednesday.
Key Background
Mangione was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he was recognized in a McDonald’s, following a five-day manhunt after police said he gunned down Thompson outside a Hilton in midtown New York as Thompson was entering the hotel for a conference. Mangione was charged with second-degree murder, three gun charges and forgery, and he is awaiting extradition to New York. Police said they found him with a fake ID, gun and silencer made from a 3-D printer, along with a manifesto accusing the healthcare industry of putting profits over patients. UnitedHealthcare, however, said it did not insure Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges in Pennsylvania and is challenging his extradition to New York. In the wake of the arrest, many social media users have cast Mangione as a martyr against corporate greed or used the shooting to criticize the health insurance industry.
Tangent
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” spoofed an episode of the show “Crime Stories with Nancy Grace” in its cold open Saturday, featuring an actress playing Grace chiding Mangione’s fans as “psychos” who “made him a sex symbol,” as shirtless photos and mugshots of the 26-year-old have gone viral.
Further Reading
UnitedHealthcare Says Suspected Shooter Luigi Mangione Was Not Insured By Company (Forbes)
Where Was Luigi Mangione In The Months Before UHC Killing? Here’s What We Know (Forbes)
Fake X And Facebook Accounts Are Stoking Hate And Violence After UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Killing (Forbes)
