Luigi Mangione’s Defense Lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo Has a Surprising Diddy Connection

A husband and wife legal power couple are now leading two of the nation’s most high-profile criminal cases.

Luigi Mangione retained Karen Friedman Agnifilo for his legal defense in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The 26-year-old alleged assassin hired the top New York attorney to represent him in forthcoming legal proceedings in the Empire State.

Friedman Agnifilo, a veteran of New York City’s criminal justice system, also happens to be married to Marc Agnifilo, who is helming Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal defense. News of her hiring came hours after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Mangione may stop resisting his extradition to New York, where he faces a murder charge. Mangione is currently being held in a Pennsylvania jail without bond after he was arrested at a McDonald’s following a days-long manhunt.

“Indications are that the defendant may waive,” Bragg said Friday afternoon. “But that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding, which my understanding from court officials in Pennsylvania cannot happen until Tuesday.”

Friedman Agnifilo’s tenure as a prosecutor—specifically her work at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office—may be a key asset in her defense of Mangione.

Friedman Agnifilo spent the majority of her career as a public servant, working at the Manhattan DA’s office, including as its chief assistant district attorney. From 2014 to 2021, she was second in command to DA Cyrus Vance, during which she recused herself from Harvey Weinstein’s rape prosecution due to her husband’s work with the disgraced movie mogul’s defense attorney.

“She’s got as much experience as any human being, especially in the state court,” a former colleague of Friedman Agnifilo’s told CNN. “She knows every corridor, every judge, every clerk in the courthouse.”

In 2021, Friedman Agnifilo switched judicial sides, joining her husband’s firm in Agnifilo Intrater LLP.

Friedman Agnifilo’s experience navigating national media attention is also reportedly extensive. She is a frequent legal commentator, was formerly a legal analyst for CNN, and is currently the legal adviser for Law and Order. Her weekly legal podcast is said to attract hundreds of thousands of listeners.

While she has yet to comment on the UnitedHealth case publicly, Mangione’s attorney in Pennsylvania told The Independent that he anticipates that Mangione will plead not guilty to the second-degree murder charge as well as to other counts in New York. The lawyer has also suggested Mangione would deny the charges levied against him related to a gun and fake ID that police said they found when they arrested him.

The Daily Beast has contacted Friedman Agnifilo for comment.