Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Luigi Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in a statement. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”
The Justice Department described Mangione’s action as “political violence” that required “substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.”
Former Judge Andrew Napolitano said in December that Mangione could face the death penalty if federal prosecutors pursue charges of murder as an act of terrorism.
“Even though the state says he did this in order to intimidate and terrify the civilian population, this is not a typical case for the federal government to get involved. But if they do, the death penalty is available,” Napolitano told Newsmax.
While the DOJ seeks the death penalty for Mangioni, a California ballot initiative recognizes the alleged assassin. The Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act seeks to make it illegal for insurance companies to “delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication” recommended by a physician where serious consequences may be had, including “disability, death, amputation, permanent disfigurement, loss or reduction of any bodily function.”
