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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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Online sellers have started taking down listings for merchandise that glorifies Luigi Mangione even as demand surges.
Mangione, the 26-year-old alleged shooter of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has rapidly developed into something of a folk hero for the many Americans who have an ax to grind against health insurance companies.
Following Mangione's arrest and subsequent gun and forgery charges, merchandise bearing his likeness flooded online markets: Keychains, mugs and clothing, such as T-shirts emblazoned with the words etched on the bullets used in the shooting or bearing a reproduction of security camera footage of the shooting, are just some of the things people have bought.
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On Thursday, however, sellers started taking down this merchandise.
An eBay spokesperson told Newsweek, "eBay policies do not prohibit the sale of items with the phrase 'Deny. Defend. Depose.,' however, items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited."
Newsweek reached out to Amazon and Etsy via email for comment on Thursday afternoon.
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Why Amazon, eBay and Etsy are taking down merchandise featuring Luigi Mangione
The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, first reported on the disappearing merchandise on Monday. In a statement to the paper, Amazon said that the merchandise violated the site's guidelines but did not specify which measures.
Most of the merch focused on the words "deny, defend, depose," which police said were etched on three bullets the shooter used to kill Thompson. It's believed that the words are a reference to the book Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It. The book slams insurance companies for blocking legitimate claims to keep costs down and maximize profits.
Many have pointed to claims that the merchandise glorifies violence, which would violate guidelines on some sites.
On Amazon, under "Community Guidelines," there is a section for "What's not allowed" that lists "Illegal activities," which includes violence, illegal drug use, underage drinking, child or animal abuse, and fraud.
"We don't allow content that advocates or threatens physical or financial harm to yourself or others. This restriction includes terrorism. Jokes or sarcastic comments about causing harm aren't allowed," the guidelines state.
eBay likewise has a section under its community guidelines for "content and actions not permitted," which includes content that is adult, pornographic, violent or mature.
"Inappropriate content or content in violation of these community guidelines, or the eBay User Agreement, should not be posted," eBay says on its site. Other nonpermissible content includes "language or threats prohibited in the Threats and Offensive Language policy."
Etsy's "prohibited items policy" includes "zero tolerance" for selling items that "promote, support or glorify hatred, those that promote, support or glorify violence."
"Sellers deemed to violate this policy can be subject to immediate account suspension or termination, in accordance with our Terms of Use," Etsy says in its policy.
Some Americans started GiveSendGo fundraiser to support Luigi Mangione
Some people have turned to fundraising for Mangione, with money pouring in to help pay the alleged shooter's legal fees.
The GiveSendGo page set up by The December 4 Legal Committee in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, set a goal of $50,000 to cover Mangione's legal fees. The fund had accumulated around $54,828 by December 12 at around 4 p.m. ET. It then increased its goal to $200,000.
A previous Newsweek article about the fund had seen around $800 donated by December 9 at 7:12 p.m. ET.
"This is a preemptive legal fundraiser for the suspect allegedly involved in the shooting of the United Healthcare CEO. We are not here to celebrate violence, but we do believe in the constitutional right of fair legal representation," the fund's page says.
The Independent reported on Tuesday that GoFundMe, another crowdfunding site, had shut down multiple pages started in support of Mangione.
In a statement to The Independent, GoFundMe said: "GoFundMe's Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers for the legal defense of violent crimes. The fundraisers have been removed from our platform and all donors have been refunded."
Update, 12/12/24 at 5:20 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a correction to a book title.
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