(NewsNation) — Defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione have accused New York district attorneys of committing “fraud” and “lying” to obtain the alleged shooter’s confidential protected medical information.
The attorneys claim in court filings that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office “falsely made up a court date” of May 23, 2025 in a subpoena to compel health company Aetna into sending documents about Mangione.
The subpoena also stated that if “Aetna did not provide documents on that date, it would be in contempt of court,” defense attorneys wrote.
“There was never a court proceeding scheduled for May 23, 2025, nor was there ever a court appearance scheduled for the entire month of May; rather, this is a completely made-up date which is not permitted by law, as trial subpoenas must only be returnable on a court date to the court,” Mangione’s attorneys stated.
Mangione is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference late last year.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Luigi Mangione’s attorneys claim HIPAA protected records shared
Defense attorneys also claimed that while the subpoena asked for Mangione’s account number and dates of coverage, Aetna also sent over 120 pages of confidential medical information protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
If the District Attorney’s office conducted the subpoena properly through the court, defense attorneys would have flagged and objected to the information sent, the defense team said.
“Rather than having Aetna give the documents to the Court, as required by the already fraudulent subpoena, the District Attorney told Aetna to provide the documents directly to the District Attorney, intentionally eliminating the Court from the subpoena process and ensuring that the District Attorney would secure these confidential medical records.”
That legally protected medical information has now been illegally viewed by the state, attorneys said.
Mangione’s defense team has requested an evidentiary hearing on the matter and is seeking testimony from two assistant district attorneys involved in the execution of the subpoena to Aetna.
They have also reserved the right to seek “various remedies including the recusal of the prosecution team, suppression of evidence or dismissal of the indictment.”
What was Luigi Mangione’s alleged motive?
After his arrest, news reports attempted to piece together his supposed motivations. Some suggested a back injury fueled his resentment against the health care industry.
Mangione reportedly revealed that he wanted to kill Thompson to “prove a political point about the health insurance industry” and its practices, which he characterized as “(extracting) human life force for money.” Mangione had also allegedly planned a bombing to generate headlines.
Mangione has gained a cultlike following from fans and has been viewed as a modern-day Robin Hood. A fundraiser that was set up for Mangione has topped more than $1 million. This fund is supposed to be used for Mangione’s legal defense fees.
Mangione is facing state charges in New York and Pennsylvania, including first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism, two counts of second-degree murder, weapons charges, and a count of using a forged instrument. The maximum sentence for the state charges would be life without parole.
Federal prosecutors also brought their charges, which could come with the death penalty if Mangione is found guilty.
In their filing, Mangione’s attorneys said Manhattan prosecutors have been “cutting corners and carelessly violating” his rights throughout the legal process in its “unprecedented and unnecessary haste to try Mr. Mangione’s non-capital state case before his federal death penalty case.”