Luigi Mangione Accepts Nearly $300,000 in Crowdfunded Donations for Legal Defense
'Luigi is aware of the fund and very much appreciates the outpouring of support,' said Karen Friedman Agnifilo, the lead defense attorney for Mangione, in a statement. 'My client plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him.' A rep for Agnifilo said she had no further comment.
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A team of 15 volunteers, under the December 4 Legal Committee, led the crowdfund. A spokesperson for the organization said they're 'thrilled' Mangione accepted it. 'The American private health insurance industry has ruined countless lives by denying people access to basic care and burying families in medical debt,' said D4 Legal Committee spokesperson Sam Beard in a statement. 'It's no surprise that Luigi's alleged actions are understood and supported by tens of millions of hard-working Americans.'
In the press release about the donations, organizers noted 'widespread support' for Mangione, pointing to the viral #FreeLuigi hashtag, which has led to a conversation around for-profit healthcare. (Singer Ethel Cain recently shared the hashtag #KillMoreCEOs in reference to the case.)
Mangione pleaded not guilty to state murder and terror charges on Dec. 23. He's also facing two federal second-degree murder charges, as well as several weapons charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison without parole. He's currently being held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial.
ID is set to air a documentary about the alleged murder suspect with interviews from individuals who knew Mangione personally, as well as with New York Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, and other experts on the case.
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