In the ongoing legal battle involving Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a number of donors who contributed to a GiveSendGo fundraiser for Mangione's legal costs are now seeking refunds.
The fundraiser, which has a target of $500,000, has seen over 8,000 people donate more than $223,800. However, a recent update from the December 4 Legal Committee, the group of 15 volunteers who organized the fundraiser, revealed a $7,000 decrease in the funds raised.
According to Newsweek, the organizers received a statement from GiveSendGo explaining the reason for the decrease. "The reason for the decrease in the funds raised is due to donors either disputing their donation to the campaign or requesting refunds. We have no control over donations when they are disputed. As for the refunded donations, when a donor requests a refund we will manually review their donation, alongside the reason for the refund request," the statement read. It further explained, "If their request is deemed to be within reason, we will refund the donation to avoid a dispute. This is because a dispute would result in the donation amount being withdrawn from the campaign's balance, in addition to a $15 dispute fee."
The refunds ranged from several $5 donations to a significant $2,500 donation made on December 24. Despite the controversy surrounding Mangione, he has garnered a considerable following, with supporters criticizing the American healthcare system. Comedian Bill Burr expressed his support for Mangione on Tuesday, stating, "Free Luigi! I love how they acted surprised. 'Why did that happen?' He wrote on the bullets why it happened."
However, not everyone shares this sentiment. New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed his disbelief to ABC News in December, stating, "I sit across the table from families who've had a loved one killed. And to think of people celebrating that ... is beyond comprehension to me." Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro also voiced his disapproval, stating, "In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this: He is no hero."
Mangione, 26, who is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, faces murder charges along with other federal and state counts related to the December 4 shooting. His court proceedings have been postponed, with both the prosecution and defense agreeing to new dates in mid-February. The federal and state cases are set to proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges likely to reach trial first. Mangione's next state court appearance is scheduled for February 21, as both cases continue to progress concurrently.
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