"In court documents filed on Friday, Mangione's lawyers said that Bondi has a profound conflict of interest because her former employer, Ballard Partners, a DC-based lobbying firm founded by the Trump donor Brian Ballard, counts UnitedHealth Group as one of its clients. UnitedHealth Group is the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, its healthcare insurance division. Bondi became a lobbyist with Ballard Partners in 2019, after her term as Florida attorney general ended. She officially left the firm upon her appointment as attorney general earlier this year."
"A hearing is scheduled for 9 January at the US court for the southern district of New York in Manhattan. The justice department and Ballard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mangione, 27, is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan on 4 December 2024. After a five-day manhunt, Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania."
Mangione's defense attorneys assert that Attorney General Pam Bondi has a profound conflict of interest because her former employer, Ballard Partners, represents UnitedHealth Group. The lawyers note Ballard Partners lists UnitedHealth Group as a client and that Bondi joined the firm as a lobbyist in 2019 after her Florida attorney general term, formally leaving upon her appointment as attorney general this year. The defense seeks to investigate Bondi's ties to Ballard, her compensation, and any directives to Justice Department staff. The defense asks the court to remove two federal charges, suppress evidence, and eliminate death-penalty exposure. A hearing is set for January 9 in SDNY.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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