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Luigi Mangione has reportedly accepted over $300,000 in donations from the self-named “December 4th Legal Committee,” which set up a fundraiser on GiveSendGo to help pay his legal defense team. Mangione is currently in jail for the alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Initially, several fundraisers popped up on GoFundMe, but the company quickly shut them down. On the other hand, GiveSendGo, which touts itself as a Christian-based website, has let fundraising for Luigi Mangione continue unfettered.
The “December 4 Legal Committee” confirmed on Monday that it had transferred nearly $300,000 to Luigi Mangione’s legal defense fund. So far, the group has raised over $304,000 from more than 10,000 donors with a goal of raising $500,000.
According to a press release from Mangione’s attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo, “Luigi is aware of the fund and very much appreciates the outpouring of support.” She also added, “My client plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him.”
Magione’s lawyer is the wife of Marc Agnifilo, who represents Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs and Mangione are also both being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Mangione had briefly been held at the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Penn. before being transferred.
On Monday, the group, made up of a team of 15 volunteers, wrote, “Yesterday marked the two month anniversary since Luigi Mangione’s arrest. Americans watched the media scramble to demonize him as social media comments overflowed with support.”
The group’s organizers also wrote, “We are thrilled that the money raised by this campaign will go toward building the strongest possible defense against these insulting charges. We remain committed to a world where our survival and well-being are no longer sacrificed for another’s wealth.”
In the weeks following the murder, a poll found that 41% of voters aged 18 to 29 found Luigi Mangione’s actions “acceptable.” Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges.