Mangione defense pushes for recusal of Pam Bondi, citing her ties to UnitedHealth lobbyists
Attorneys representing Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, are seeking to have Attorney General Pam Bondi recused from trial, citing her links to a lobbying firm that represents the insurer.
As noted by Mangione’s lawyers, Bondi used to be a part of Ballard Partners, a healthcare industry lobby. They asked a federal court to remove Bondi from the case, citing her conflict of interest.
“[A]ny criminal defendant, let alone one who the government is trying to kill, is due a criminal process that is untainted by the financial interests of his prosecutors,” Karen and Marc Agnifilo, the attorneys representing 27-year-old Mangione, wrote.
They argue that their client's right to a fair trial is violated by Bondi’s direct involvement in the prosecution, given her connection to Ballard. Bondi used to be a partner with the lobby firm and has financially benefited from lobbying related to UnitedHealth’s interests, the Agnifilos contend.
Further, in their 51-page filing with the court, the husband-and-wife law team mentioned that Bondi’s office was the one who chose to prosecute Mangione federally, and sought the death penalty, when he was already facing murder charges in New York.
“The Attorney General took the remarkable and unprecedented step of personally and publicly ordering line prosecutors to seek the death penalty against the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO,” they wrote.
Mangione’s attorneys have also asked the court to take the death penalty off the table.
This is all part of preliminary proceedings for his murder trial, where the boundaries are set by both sides for what will be permissible. Contested facts include alleged evidence gathered by police, some of which Mangione’s attorneys are attempting to suppress. Specifically, they point to items obtained during what the defense calls an illegal search, including a gun thought to be the one that killed Thompson, as well as a notebook containing a handwritten letter written by Mangione.
This evidence is also being challenged in the New York case, which will conclude before the full federal trial begins.
Prosecution denies Bondi-UnitedHealth link
A hearing in U.S. District Court with Judge Margaret Garnett is scheduled for Jan. 9, at which time the defense’s challenge to the evidence and Bondi’s lobbying ties can be formally heard.
Ahead of that date, however, prosecutors with the federal government have responded to the accusations made by Karen and Marc Agnifilo, calling them “misleading” and “meritless” in their own filing with the court.
Writing for the government, Deputy Manhattan U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley rejected that Bondi is still receiving money from Ballard, telling the judge that she has no profit-share or current financial link to the company.
He said Bondi’s only tie to her former employer is a 401(k) that reflects “past, fully earned compensation.”
"The defendant's narrative collapses under the weight of his own assumptions, because a financial conflict theory requires a demonstrable financial benefit tethered to the litigation," Buckley wrote. "Where no present or future financial gain exists, there is no conflict."
Thompson was killed outside his hotel in Manhattan in December 2024. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to the murder.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.