Lawyers representing Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League alumnus accused of shooting Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York City, have requested a federal judge to prevent the Justice Department from pursuing the death penalty if he is found guilty.

Mangione’s legal team claims that the federal charges, which followed New York prosecutors filing murder and terrorism accusations against him, are “arbitrary and capricious.” They contend that the orders for U.S. attorneys to seek the death penalty are driven by political motives.

The lawyers also raised concerns about a Justice Department Instagram post, which implied Mangione’s guilt despite no conviction, potentially influencing the grand jury’s decision-making as the indictment deadline approaches next week.

Mangione is accused of plotting the assassination in order to sow terror in the health insurance industry, which he allegedly railed against in a journal police seized during his arrest in Pennsylvania days after the shooting.

Luigi Mangione shouts while officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing at Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 10, 2024. (David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)

His lawyers are asking the court to take away the potential death penalty as an option if he is convicted, to order grand jurors to be screened for potential prejudice, to order Bondi to confirm she is aware of rules governing extrajudicial statements, and to inspect internal Justice Department documents as well as communications between the government and “anyone advocating for the death penalty” on behalf any business, corporate interest or lobby. 

Nicholas Biase, the chief of public affairs for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, declined to comment on the new defense filing.