TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the Department of Justice to seek the death penalty against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year.
“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 Tuesday. "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.”
Bondi described Thompson's alleged murder as "an act of political violence." Police believe Mangione was motivated by his views on the U.S. healthcare system.
Thompson's death and Mangione's criticism of the healthcare system sparked mixed reactions from lawmakers and the public. A proposed California ballot initiative named after Mangione would make it illegal for an insurance company to “delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication," according to NewsNation.
A DOJ news release stated Bondi is seeking the death penalty in line with a Feb. 5 memo, in which she ordered the agency to lift the moratorium on capital punishment in federal cases.
Mangione was federally charged with stalking and murdering Thompson. He also faces a charge of first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism at the state level. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.