Luigi Mangione's defense fund raises over $722K
(NewsNation) — An anonymous donor gave $36,500 to the defense fund for Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year in New York City.
This brings the total amount raised to over $722,000, the New York Post and Newsweek report. The $36,500 gift is the biggest donation Mangione has received yet.
The anonymous donor said they were inspired by the swelling of support Mangione got and how "unified folks’ responses are regardless of strata," according to The Post.
NewsNation legal contributor Jesse Weber, who is also a host on the Law & Crime Network, says he's been in the industry for a while but has never seen anything like this before.
While he's seen support for people when evidence is flimsy or when someone is on death row when others think they shouldn't be, in Mangione's case, Weber says the "evidence looks really strong."
"People are raising money not for his innocence, but because they're in support of allegedly what he did," Weber said on "Elizabeth Vargas Reports" Thursday. "Writing letters of support — it's very clear what this is. And how much was raised so quickly is remarkable."