Overview

• U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett said multiple Justice Department employees likely violated a local rule restricting prejudicial public statements about defendant Luigi Mangione.
• The judge directed prosecutors to advise Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and to explain how the apparent breaches occurred, warning that further violations could trigger fines, contempt findings, or case-specific remedies.
• The order cites a since-deleted X post by DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin endorsing President Trump’s Fox News comment about Mangione and a repost by senior DOJ official Brian Nieves.
• Defense filings also flag White House messaging, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling Mangione a “left-wing assassin,” as evidence that officials have undermined his right to a fair trial while seeking to bar the death penalty and curb the federal case.
• Mangione has pleaded not guilty in parallel federal and state prosecutions; federal prosecutors are pursuing capital punishment, and a New York state judge recently dismissed terrorism counts while leaving other charges in place.