Lawyers for Luigi Mangione argue the death penalty should be stayed in his federal murder case due to Attorney General Pam Bondi’s alleged “conflict of interest,” according to a new court filing.
In court papers filed overnight, defense attorneys accused Bondi of failing to disclose her work at lobbying firm Ballard Partners, which “listed UnitedHealth Group as a regular client” and that “she personally benefited financially from Ballard’s lucrative relationship with UHG.”
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him of stalking and murdering Thompson and has been fighting the government’s notice of intent to seek the death penalty if convicted.
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The defense argued it was a conflict of interest that should have prevented Bundy from instructing prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters – Photo: Luigi Mangione attends an evidentiary hearing in the murder trial of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at Supreme Court in Manhattan, New York, December 18, 2025.
“When Ms. Bondi left Ballard Partners in 2025 and became Attorney General, the first defendant she personally selected for execution was the man accused of killing her former client’s CEO,” the defense filing states.
“The Attorney General’s financial relationship with UHG presents a conflict of interest that should have caused her to recuse herself from making any decision on this case,” Mangione’s attorneys wrote.
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The defense argued that seeking the death penalty violated Mangione’s due process rights.
“The Attorney General’s past and present financial interest in Ballard Partners (the firm that continues to lobby the government on behalf of UHG and UHC) involves Mr. Mangione’s due process rights because the person entitled to seek his death has a financial interest in the case she is prosecuting,” the filing states.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York generally declines to comment on ongoing cases and is expected to provide a written response to the defense’s arguments.
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters – Photo: Luigi Mangione attends an evidentiary hearing in the murder trial of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson at Supreme Court in Manhattan, New York, December 18, 2025.
Mangione’s attorneys have been working to exclude evidence from his upcoming murder trial in state court. New defense documents in the federal case use some of the testimony from the suppression hearings to argue that the evidence should also be excluded from Mangione’s federal case.
The defense argued that the search of Mangione’s backpack was illegal because he was handcuffed, several feet away from the backpack and surrounded by Altoona police.
“There was no way Mr. Mangione could have evaded the numerous police officers surrounding him and opened his zippered backpack while being handcuffed at the back. Therefore, law enforcement’s search of Mr. Mangione’s backpack at the McDonald’s cannot be considered incidental to a lawful arrest,” the defense wrote.
A preliminary hearing in the state’s case concluded Thursday. The defense has until Jan. 29 before New York Judge Gregory Carro to make its final argument on what evidence should be excluded in writing. Prosecutors have until March 5 to respond. The defense has two weeks to file a response.
Carlo said he expects to issue a decision on what evidence, if any, to exclude on May 18, when he will also set a trial date.
