Justice Dept officials’ statements on Luigi Mangione broke court rules, judge says

By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Public statements by Justice Department officials about Luigi Mangione, the man charged with killing an insurance executive last year, violated a court rule meant to protect criminal defendants against publicity that could prejudice a jury pool against them, the judge overseeing the case said on Wednesday.

In a written order, Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett instructed prosecutors to advise Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to tell other Justice Department officials that any further violations could result in punishments including financial penalties or contempt of court.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering Brian Thompson, the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit. Federal prosecutor