It didn’t take long after law enforcement officials named a person of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson for the campaigns to begin. People, angry with the state of healthcare in the U.S. or just looking to make a quick buck, quickly took to GoFundMe, saying they were raising money to support the suspect, though officials at the platform appeared to be moving quickly to remove them.
Luigi Mangione has not yet been charged with the crime, but New York City police referred to him as a “strong person of interest” in Thompson’s murder. Mangione, 26, was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being spotted in a McDonald’s. Law enforcement officials say he was carrying a handwritten manifesto criticizing health insurance companies along with a gun, a silencer, and fake IDs similar to those used by the person suspected of killing Thompson.
Multiple campaigns have already popped up on GoFundMe to support Mangione. Online, Thompson’s murder stirred up many people’s feelings of frustration, anger, and resentment toward insurance companies and the healthcare system, which are often viewed as faceless institutions, focused only on profits.
“Luigi has risked everything to stand up to corporations that are destroying American lives,” read the description on one fundraiser, which has now vanished. “It is our duty to support this man so his story can be told and why it matters to us and our families. We the people for the people!”
One popular use of GoFundMe, somewhat ironically, is by people seeking help to pay their medical expenses. A 2022 study found that the number of U.S. campaigns related to medical causes on the platform numbered approximately 200,000 in 2020. That was 25 times higher than the number of such campaigns on the site in 2011. Medical fundraisers are now the first category listed on the site’s discover page.
But when it comes to raising money for legal defenses, GoFundMe’s terms and conditions, however, are pretty clear. Users agree they will not use the platform for, among other things “the legal defense of financial and violent crimes, including those related to money laundering, murder, robbery, assault, battery, sex crimes, or crimes against minors.”
Mangione has not yet been charged in connection with Thompson’s murder. He is facing unspecified firearms charges in relation to the weapon found on him at the time of his arrest, a so-called ghost gun. Ghost guns are often made from parts sold online or made with a 3D printer and do not bear serial numbers.
People who contribute to these accounts won’t lose their money—GoFundMe’s giving guarantee ensures donors a full refund in case of misuse or other problems with a fundraiser. GoFundMe did not respond to Fast Company’s request for comment about the Mangione-based fundraisers.
Many of the GoFundMe campaigns for Mangione made dubious claims. One, claiming to be from Mangione’s mother, was attempting to secure funds “for the bond for my son so can can [sic] regain his freedom and so I can continue to support my family.” The campaign has since been removed from the platform.
Another purported to be from Mangione himself, though how he managed to organize a GoFundMe while in custody is something of a mystery—and a giant red flag.
Whether it’s due to GoFundMe’s quick takedown of these campaigns, people’s skepticism of them, or a lack of broad support for Mangione despite the online talk of the past several days, the fundraisers haven’t been raking in dollars. We saw several disappear before reaching donations of more than $50.
