What’s New
The judge overseeing pretrial hearings for Luigi Mangione is married to a former Pfizer executive, according to a report.
Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker’s husband, Bret Parker, left Pfizer, where he was vice president and assistant general counsel, in 2010, journalist Ken Klippenstein reported on his Substack page.
The judge also holds hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock, including in Pfizer and other health-care and pharmaceutical companies, according to her 2023 financial disclosures.
Parker is presiding over pretrial hearings in Mangione’s federal case, but is not expected to oversee his trial.
Newsweek has contacted Parker for comment via an email to her office outside regular business hours. Mangione’s attorney has been contacted for comment via email.
Luigi Mangione appears for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23, 2024 in New York City. A judge overseeing pretrial hearings is married to a former Pfizer executive. Luigi Mangione appears for his arraignment at Manhattan Criminal Court on December 23, 2024 in New York City. A judge overseeing pretrial hearings is married to a former Pfizer executive. Curtis Means/Pool-Getty Images
Why It Matters
Mangione, 26, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as he walked to his company’s annual investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown early on December 4. The killing sparked an outpouring of stories about resentment toward health insurance companies in the U.S. with some viewing the shooter as a folk hero, while also shaking corporate America and leading some companies to reevaluate security protocols.
Parker’s ties to the health-care industry raise concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
Mangione’s lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo has raised concerns about his client’s right to a fair trial and said he was being used for
Who Is Katharine Parker? Luigi Mangione Judge’s Health-Care Ties Explained
