Donations to Luigi Mangione’s legal defense fund hit $250,000 to help him beat UnitedHealthcare CEO murder rap

A February 4 report from Newsweek stated that large donations to the fund had slowed in recent weeks, with the average donation being between $5 and $25. Since the report, however, the GiveSendGo fundraiser is now at over $253,000 as of Thursday, with multiple donations of $50 or more.

Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s lead defense attorney, said in response to the Tuesday Newsweek report, "Luigi is aware of the fund and very much appreciates the outpouring of support. My client plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him." ABC News reported, "The item and the lawyer's comment prompted a series of Reddit posts that appeared to spark renewed interest in Mangione's case and donations to his fund."

The GiveSendGo fundraiser was created by the December 4 Legal Committee, a group of 15 volunteers from across the country. The most recent update, dated January 26, stated, "In recent weeks, we have seen even more news stories try to demonize Luigi and his supporters. But strong support for Luigi continues. Legal battles are long, and it's critical that we keep up energy and solidarity as Luigi sits waiting his day in court. Whatever the media says, it's clear to all of us: it is the healthcare system that is on trial." It added, "The donations to this campaign have been small, but they have added up to something massive."

In December, $7,000 in donations were removed from the fundraiser by GiveSendGo, with individual donations spanning from $5 to $2,500. The fundraising platform said that the funds were removed "due to donors either disputing their donation to the campaign or requesting refunds."

On Wednesday, a federal judge approved the appointment of Avraham Markowitz, an expert in capital cases, to Mangione's case. The 26-year-old faces the death penalty for one of the federal charges against him. He also faces state charges in New York, where the killing took place, and Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested in a McDonald's.