US Attorney General Drops Charges Against Doctor Accused of COVID-19 Vaccine Misconduct
In a significant development, US Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered the dismissal of charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a plastic surgeon who faced accusations including destroying COVID-19 vaccines valued at approximately $28,000, distributing fraudulent vaccination record cards, and administering saline injections to children in lieu of actual vaccines at their parents’ behest. This decision comes as Dr. Moore was already on trial in Utah, where he had maintained his innocence by pleading not guilty to all charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States.
The acting US Attorney for Utah, Felice John Viti, formally filed the motion to dismiss the charges on Saturday, citing the “interests of justice.” The case, which had seen Dr. Moore indicted by the Justice Department under the Biden administration in 2023, brought to light serious allegations regarding the handling of sensitive public health resources during the pandemic.
According to the US Attorney’s office in Utah, Dr. Moore was accused of providing more than 1,900 vaccination doses with fraudulently completed vaccination certificates. These were allegedly supplied for a fee of $50 per dose, with payment often made through direct cash transactions or donations to a designated charity, without the actual administration of the vaccine. Furthermore, the government accused Dr. Moore of administering saline shots to children, a practice reportedly carried out at the request of their parents who wished for their children to believe they had received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Moore, along with his company, the Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc., and three other co-defendants, had been charged with attempting to defraud the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The potential penalties for these charges, as reported by the Associated Press, could have led to up to 35 years in prison for Dr. Moore and the other defendants.
Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed her reasoning for the dismissal on the social media platform X, stating that Dr. Moore “did not deserve the years in prison he was facing.” She highlighted that US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee had brought the case to her attention, recognizing them as advocates for “ending the weaponization of government.” Senator Lee echoed this sentiment, thanking the Attorney General for her support of Americans who experienced “too many official lies, mandates, and lockdowns during COVID.”
This case unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing public discourse surrounding vaccine mandates and government overreach during the pandemic. Notably, current US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who led the organization Children’s Health Defense for eight years, has a documented history of questioning vaccine safety and efficacy. While Kennedy has recently stated he is not “anti-vax” and does not advocate for taking away vaccines, his past stance continues to be a point of public discussion.