Despite the fact that Luigi Mangione comes from a rich and famous family, anonymous online donors have put up thousands of dollars to fund his defense against charges related to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
A supporter at the Christian-based free speech fundraising platform GiveSendGo had raised more than $31,000 as of Wednesday afternoon on its way to a goal of $200,000. A New Jersey-based fund with the newly formed “December 4th Legal Committee,” possibly referring to the date of the shooting.
Representatives from GiveSendGo told USA TODAY several campaigns have been set up for Mangione, including a small fundraiser that was not released Wednesday.
Mangione’s attorney, Thomas Dickey, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request, but told CNN Tuesday that his client appreciates the support but “will not” accept money to pay Mangione’s legal fees.
Organizers at GiveSendGo said they wrote to Mangione in prison to see how he would like to spend the money. If he rejected them, the money would be given to “the legal expenses of other US political prisoners.”
Other social media pages linked to Mangione’s prison account are asking for donations of “snacks, sodas, an iPad, etc.”
But the group behind the December 4th Legal Committee fundraiser has no presence online and it’s not clear that the platform itself, which has been hacked in the past, guarantees that the money will go where donors think it will, according to Megan Spire, deputy director. for the data analytics and OSINT Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center.
“You don’t really know who you’re giving money to,” Spire said. “That’s all, it’s all shady.”
Live updates: Fingerprints, a gun linking the man who shot Luigi Mangione to the CEO’s murder, police said
Luigi Mangione is led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition hearing on December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
Dissidents and extremists often make money online
GiveSendGo, which has billed itself as the “#1 free Christian crowdfunding site,” has become a popular fundraising option for controversial figures, including people accused of participating in the January 6, 2021 uprising at the US Capitol by members of the Proud Boys. .
Daniel Penny, a former Marine who was found not guilty Monday of manslaughter in the death of a homeless man in New York City, raised more than $300 million on the platform and Kyle Rittenhouse, who was found not guilty of all charges after the shooting. three people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a demonstration against police brutality, received more than 250,000 dollars.
There has been a strong push to get tech companies to stop allowing people who promote hate and make threats of violence to profit from their platforms, but companies like GiveSendGo have been “vehemently opposed” to the call, Spire said.
Thomas Dickey, the attorney for suspected shooter Luigi Mangione speaks to reporters outside the Blair County Courthouse after a deportation hearing on December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
The crowdfunding site GoFundMe has removed fundraisers supporting Mangione and returned donations, a GoFundMe spokesperson told USA TODAY Wednesday, noting the company’s policy prohibiting fundraisers from legally defending violent crimes.
But those rules don’t apply to GiveSendGo.
“While some platforms deny people the opportunity to raise money to defend themselves against their will, we believe that people are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” Heather Wilson, founder of GiveSendGo said in a statement after the trial. Penny judgment. “Regardless of media coverage or public pressure, it is our duty to support that right, even for reasons we may not personally support. Justice is not served if resources are only available to those who deserve certain narratives.”
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Wilson told USA TODAY the increase in funding helps level the playing field in the criminal justice system by allowing people to secure quality representation and pay court-related costs. “The presumption of innocence and the right to legal representation should not be reserved for the wealthy,” he said in a statement to USA TODAY.
Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family that sent him to prestigious, expensive schools. His late grandfather, Nicholas Mangione Sr., developed real estate and owned country clubs, nursing homes, and radio stations, while his late grandmother, Mary Mangione, was a philanthropist who served as a trustee of the Baltimore Opera Company, in the region. tourism board and groups such as American Citizens for Italian Matters. His mother owns a funeral home in the area.
Security is set up outside the Hayfields Country Club in Hunt Valley, owned by the family of Luigi Mangione, Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Mangione was identified as a person of interest and was arrested Monday in Pennsylvania in connection with the death. the firing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Fighting a tough legal battle is expensive, even for someone like Mangione who appears to be from a wealthy background, Rainey Reitman, president of the board of the Freedom of the Press Foundation said.
Reitman said companies have the right to determine which fundraisers they allow and individuals have the right to use their own money to ensure that an accused person has adequate legal representation.
“I push back against anyone who is trying to tell them to take these fundraisers out of the country, if only because they don’t agree with what they’re doing,” said Reitman, author of a forthcoming book on the working conditions of financial institutions. “This is not about what he is alleged to have done. It is about whether or not he can get strong legal protection, and that is something we all have to agree on.”
While the companies themselves may be motivated by a desire to ensure that everyone receives strong protections, Spire said what appears to motivate people to give Mangione’s defense is widespread anger at the health care system and the perception of the accused as a political prisoner. which he said reflects the speech of the supporters of the rebels.
“People can give whatever excuse they want, but it’s absurd to say that this is self-defense,” he said. “The data refutes that. When you read the actual data, it shows that people are not really thinking about his defense, they are thinking about themselves and their anger.”
Where does the money go?
When a person seeks legal aid, lawyers set up an “Interest on Lawyer Trust Account” where legal fees can be paid separately, Reitman explained. Organizers of online fundraisers often don’t have a direct relationship with the people they’re raising money for and donors have to rely on them to do the legwork to make sure the money is deposited into the right account.
Wilson he told USA TODAY GiveSendGo takes its review process seriously, but “does not monitor or control the use of funds after withdrawal.” He said that if the recipient refused the donations, the money would not be given and the donations could be returned or transferred to other causes with the consent of the donor.
“As we remind everyone who gives, it’s your responsibility to understand who and what you’re giving,” Wilson said.
Reitman said people looking to donate to Mangione’s defense should consider waiting until there is an official fundraiser with his legal team or a recognized nonprofit organization.
“It’s the fact that in some cases, people who are trying to take advantage of the situation may try to stop the fundraiser and have no intention of giving the money to the defender,” said Reitman. “So I think it’s a real problem, and people should be skeptical about where they’re sending their money.”
Cast: Brenna Smith, Jessica Guynn, Will Carless, Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luigi Mangione fundraiser raises $30,000 for suspected CEO killer.