CEO Killing Suspect Luigi Mangione’s Lawyer Takes Brutal Swipe At Billionaire Influence In CNN Interview

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins asked attorney Thomas Dickey why people are offering to pay legal bills for his client Luigi Mangione — who was arrested Monday for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — and Dickey took a sharp swipe at billionaire influence.

After a frantic manhunt, Mangione was apprehended when a McDonald’s employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, recognized him from the many surveillance stills released after the shooting and called the police. He was arrested while in possession of multiple fake IDs, a 3D-printed gun with a suppressor, a manifesto and notebooks, and around $10,000.00 in hard currency.

Mangione is charged with:

• Murder in the Second Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Dickey confirmed he has been flooded with offers to pay Mangione’s legal bills.

When Collins asked why, Dickey cracked that what’s “free speech” for billionaires in politics is free speech for Luigi’s supporters too:

COLLINS: We had seen reports earlier that–

DICKEY: That’s all I would tell you.

COLLINS: –that there was, you know, people were inundating you with offers to help pay for his legal bills. Is that accurate?

DICKEY: I have received some emails. I have not seen them personally. But my understanding from my staff is people are doing that.

COLLINS: That people are reaching out to you and offering to help pay for his legal bills?

DICKEY: That’s correct.

COLLINS: Do you — would you accept those offers? I mean, I imagine you maybe have–

DICKEY: Nah.

COLLINS: –I don’t know. Have you ever gotten that before?

DICKEY: Nah. Nah. To be honest with you, I probably wouldn’t.

COLLINS: Why do you think you would not accept that?

[21:10:00]

DICKEY: I don’t know. I just don’t — I don’t know. I just don’t feel comfortable about that. So, I don’t know. I haven’t given that much thought. But I’m not — look, you know, I’m not — you know, obviously my client appreciates the support that he has. But I don’t know, I just did — it — I’d have to look in. But it just doesn’t sit right with me, really.

COLLINS: Why do you think they’re offering?

DICKEY: I would — I don’t know. People — you know, you’re talking about — you know, the Supreme Court says, all these rich billionaires can give all kind of money to candidates, and that’s free speech. So, maybe these people were exercising their right to free speech, and saying, that’s the way they’re supporting my client.

Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.