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| Luigi Mangione's medical history was shared with prosecutors. Pennsylvania State Police via AP |
The confidential 120-page medical history of Luigi Mangione the Maryland man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was accidentally sent to New York prosecutors twice, according to a new filing. Prosecutors say the sensitive records first came from Aetna, and then again from Mangione’s own defense attorneys.
Lead Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann revealed the dual mishap in a three-page court document filed Friday, describing it as an unfortunate “double-snafu.” In both instances, prosecutors claim they acted properly, forwarding the records to the judge and deleting their own copies.
“Mistakes do occur,” Seidemann wrote, emphasizing that errors were made by both Aetna and defense counsel but not by his office.
Aetna’s role in the document leak
According to Seidemann, Aetna “erroneously sent us materials” beyond what was requested in a limited subpoena. He said the defense “then erred, compounding Aetna’s mistake” by emailing the entire file they were now objecting to.
When defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo later confirmed she had not intended to send the file and asked prosecutors to delete it, Seidemann said they complied immediately and did not use the material.
Aetna has defended its response. Phil Blando, executive director for communications at Aetna’s parent company, CVS Health, said the insurer “received a subpoena for certain medical records, and we provided them appropriately.”
The dispute over subpoena scope
The clash is part of a month-long dispute between state prosecutors and defense lawyers over Mangione’s medical history. His attorneys claim the leaked records included “different diagnoses as well as specific medical complaints.”
Both sides agree that Seidemann’s May 14 subpoena asked Aetna only for Mangione’s health insurance account number and coverage dates. But the defense argues that even the account number is protected under HIPAA and should not have been requested.
Seidemann countered in Friday’s filing that such information “does not appear to be protected by HIPAA” because it does not relate directly to a medical condition, treatment, or payment for care.
How the full file reached prosecutors
The conflict deepened after Aetna allegedly sent Mangione’s complete healthcare history in four separate files to Seidemann on June 12. The prosecutor said his subpoena was lawful and properly directed Aetna to send any materials to the judge, as required.
The defense, however, accuses Seidemann of holding onto the records for 12 days before forwarding them to the court. They also question why Aetna sent the documents directly to the prosecutor instead of following the subpoena’s instructions.
Agnifilo’s team has asked New York Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro to hold a “full evidentiary hearing” to explore potential sanctions, including removing Seidemann from the case. They want sworn testimony and the release of all correspondence between prosecutors and Aetna.
No decision yet on evidentiary hearing
By late Friday, Justice Carro had not ruled on whether to grant the defense’s request for a hearing. A spokesperson for Mangione’s legal team declined to comment on the latest filing.
Meanwhile, Mangione faces both state and federal murder charges. Federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. In the background, the two jurisdictions are negotiating over which case will go to trial first.
Which trial comes first?
State court currently has the advantage of speed, since the absence of death penalty procedures allows the case to move faster. Federal prosecutors, however, hold custody of Mangione and therefore control his location.
Judges in both courts have expressed hope to begin trials in 2026, but the final order of proceedings remains undecided.
