Overview

• U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett found that comments amplified by Justice Department staff likely violated a local rule restricting prejudicial public statements before trial.
• Prosecutors must file a sworn declaration explaining how the violations occurred and confirm that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has been advised to disseminate the warning inside DOJ.
• The judge cautioned that any future breach could lead to personal financial penalties, contempt findings, or relief affecting the prosecution, which she will consider when weighing defense motions.
• Her order cited a DOJ spokesperson’s X post endorsing President Trump’s Fox News claim that Luigi Mangione “shot someone in the back,” which was reposted by a senior DOJ aide and later deleted.
• Defense lawyers, who seek to bar the death penalty and dismiss the indictment, say official rhetoric has tainted the case; a state judge recently dismissed terrorism counts as Mangione maintains not guilty pleas while federal prosecutors pursue capital charges.