The defense attorneys for Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare shooting case, have strongly opposed the federal government's push for the death penalty, labeling it a calculated political move. In a recent court submission, Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, criticized U.S. Attorney General Pam, accusing her of violating legal norms and undermining the fairness of the judicial process.

"Because the Attorney General has chosen to proceed in this way, Mr. Mangione’s Due Process rights have already been violated and the manner in which the Government has acted has prejudiced the grand jury pool and has corrupted the grand jury process," Agnifilo wrote in the court filing. She further asserted that the government's intention to seek capital punishment was not rooted in justice, but rather intended as a political stunt.

The defense claims that the procedures followed by the Justice Department ignored standard protocols and compromised the integrity of the legal process. Agnifilo stated that the aggressive pursuit of the death penalty has already influenced the grand jury, biasing their perspective before the case could be fairly evaluated on its merits.

“The United States government intends to kill Mr. Mangione as a political stunt,” Agnifilo alleged, underlining what she sees as a misuse of power by the federal government in the high-profile case.

The remarks have reignited debate over the political motivations behind capital punishment decisions, particularly in high-visibility cases. The defense is seeking to have the death penalty removed as a sentencing option in the case, citing procedural misconduct and constitutional violations. The court has yet to issue a ruling in response to the defense motion.