A federal judge on Wednesday warned Justice Department officials that continued public comments about the case against Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating an insurance executive last year, could result in sanctions for violating the rules governing what prosecutors can say publicly about the guilt or innocence of a defendant before a trial.
Judge Margaret Garnett, who is overseeing Mangione’s federal case, said in an order that at least two DOJ officials likely broke court rules governing the conduct of prosecutors by reposting comments President Donald Trump made about Mangione in recent days. Garnett said the actions “appear to be in direct violation” of court rules.
Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, on Dec. 4, 2024. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in his case. He also faces separate state charges that he has pleaded not guilty to.
Garnett’s order came after Mangione’s attorneys said in a filing Tuesday that statements made by several Trump administration officials had jeopardized his chances of getting a fair trial. The filing included screenshots the attorneys said were of DOJ officials reposting comments Trump made about Mangione.
The attorneys noted in their filing that during a Sept. 18 appearance on Fox News, Trump said Mangione had “shot someone in the back as clear as you’re looking at me.”
“He shot him right in the middle of the back, instantly dead,” Trump said.
On Sept. 19, a DOJ spokesperson reposted on X a video clip of Trump’s remarks, according to the letter Mangione’s legal team sent to the judge.
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“@POTUS is absolutely right,” the spokesperson, Chad Gilmartin, said in the since-deleted post, which was reposted by Brian Nieves, an associate deputy attorney general, according to the screenshots in the defense’s filing.
Garnett wrote in her order that two top-ranking DOJ officials who were cited in the letter from Mangione’s lawyers “appear to be in direct violation” of court rules and an earlier court order prohibiting such statements.
The judge asked the DOJ to explain by Oct. 3 how the violations occurred and what steps are being taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
“Future violations may result in sanctions, which could include personal financial penalties, contempt of court findings, or relief specific to the prosecution of this matter,” the judge wrote.
The DOJ declined a request for comment Wednesday.
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