Lena Weissbrot, identified as one of three supporters who received press credentials from the city administration, posted a series of vitriolic social media messages targeting Paulette Thompson, the widow of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, following the guilty plea of his killer, Luigi Mangione.
Mangione, 28, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to using a 3D-printed handgun to fatally shoot Brian Thompson on December 4, 2024. Weissbrot, 32, shared comments from Instagram users on her social media, some of which justified the killing and suggested Paulette Thompson was complicit in her husband's actions.
One reposted comment read, "i know, id cry too if my husband was responsible for millions of people dying due to denied claims for life saving treatment." Another stated, "Maybe the wife of the CEO could give away some of their riches to people who can’t pay their medical bills." A third comment questioned, "You talking about the woman that was living a privileged life on the backs of the sick and dying?"
Another comment declared Mangione a hero, asserting, "Luigi is a hero. Brian Thompson denied CANCER patients treatment. Private health insurance CEOs kill is every day." A radical online statement suggested, "Federal pardon from the next good president, or free him during the revolution."
Weissbrot was a consistent presence outside the Manhattan courthouse during Mangione's trial but was absent when he entered his guilty plea. Previously, in an on-camera interview where Weissbrot and her companions defended their press credentials for their blog, another supporter, Ashley Rojas, was heard shouting expletives about Brian Thompson and his mother while displaying a press badge.
Weissbrot's mother, Reina Natero, is a pharmacist who has worked in the health insurance industry for over two decades, overseeing prescription drug coverage rules at CVS Health.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced it will seek a life sentence for Mangione, who is scheduled for sentencing on December 18. U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald stated after the plea that Mangione's actions demonstrated that "violence is not a legitimate instrument to promote any political or social message."
Mangione's federal plea occurred weeks before his state trial, where he faces charges of second-degree murder and illegal weapons possession. His lawyers have filed a motion arguing that the federal plea triggers double jeopardy, potentially affecting the state case. Weissbrot did not respond to requests for comment regarding her social media posts.