ABC News February 5, 2025

Donations to Luigi Mangione's legal defense fund slowed, then surged

WATCH: Luigi Mangione appears in NYC courtroom

Donations to Luigi Mangione's legal defense fund have picked up after a news report that they had slowed down.

Mangione's online fund has received over $248,000 in donations to help defend him against state and federal charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Bloomberg via Getty Images
Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth Group Inc. chief executive officer Brian Thompson, left, and Karen Friedman Agnifilo, attorney for Luigi Mangione, at New York State Supreme Court in New York on Dec. 23, 2024.

Newsweek reported Tuesday that contributions had slowed to a trickle.

In response, Mangione's lead defense attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said, "Luigi is aware of the fund and very much appreciates the outpouring of support. My client plans on utilizing it to fight all three of the unprecedented cases against him."

MORE: Luigi Mangione's defense team adds death penalty expert in case of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO

The item and the lawyer's comment prompted a series of Reddit posts that appeared to spark renewed interest in Mangione's case and donations to his fund.

His legal team just added a court-appointed death penalty expert, Avi Markowitz.

MORE: UnitedHealthcare CEO killing latest: Luigi Mangione charged with first-degree murder as terrorism in New York

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges.

He has not yet entered a plea to federal charges, one of which could result in the death penalty if there's a conviction.