Luigi Mangione Claims Trump and DOJ Smeared Him as a Domestic Terrorist, Seeks Dismissal

Defendant Luigi Mangione has filed a new motion in federal court accusing the U.S. Department of Justice and President Donald Trump’s administration of carrying out a coordinated public smear campaign against him, alleging that their actions have tainted potential jurors and jeopardized his right to a fair trial.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Mangione’s filing centers on a memorandum issued by President Trump on September 25, 2025, titled “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence.”

The memo, which designates “Antifa” as a domestic terrorist organization, includes references to several high-profile criminal cases. Mangione claims that one of those references was directed at him.

While the memorandum does not mention Mangione by name, it cites “the 2024 assassination of a senior healthcare executive” as part of the rationale behind classifying Antifa as a terrorist group.

Mangione argues that this description clearly refers to his alleged involvement in the December 4, 2024, fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.

Mangione and his attorneys — Karen Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan — claim that President Trump’s public comments and the DOJ’s coordination with UnitedHealthcare executives have unfairly influenced public perception of the case.

In their motion, they argue that the administration’s statements amount to government-led defamation that could impact jurors, calling it a deliberate attempt to prejudice the legal process.

The defense motion also cites a Wall Street Journal report alleging that senior officials from the Department of Justice met with UnitedHealthcare executives. Mangione’s team claims those meetings, reportedly arranged by DOJ staff, demonstrate coordination between the company and the federal government.

They also note that UnitedHealthcare’s leadership met separately with the White House Chief of Staff, though those discussions were described publicly as unrelated to Mangione’s prosecution.

Mangione’s attorneys have requested that the court dismiss his federal indictment and the DOJ’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty, citing what they call “prejudicial government conduct.”

In his separate state case, a New York judge previously dismissed terrorism-related charges against Mangione, ruling that prosecutors failed to establish that he conspired with any terrorist organizations or acted to spread political violence.

However, Mangione still faces multiple counts, including murder and the federal charge of using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a potential death sentence.

Mangione’s case continues to move through federal court, where prosecutors have yet to respond publicly to the latest defense filing.

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