
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
The U.S. Attorney General has ordered that all charges be dropped against a doctor accused of destroying $28,000 (£20,742) worth of Covid-19 vaccines, issuing fraudulent vaccination cards, and administering saline shots to children in place of vaccines at the request of their parents.
Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a plastic surgeon based in Utah, had faced multiple charges after being indicted by the Department of Justice under the Biden administration in 2023. He had pleaded not guilty to all accusations, including conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Pam Bondi, who currently serves in a senior role at the Department of Justice, defended the move to dismiss the case, stating that Dr. Moore “gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so.” She said on social media that the doctor did not deserve to face years behind bars.
The decision to drop the charges was filed by Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, Felice John Viti, on Saturday, who stated the case was being dismissed “in the interests of justice.” Dr. Moore was already on trial in Utah at the time the charges were dropped.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Utah, Dr. Moore was accused in 2023 of fraudulently certifying over 1,900 Covid-19 vaccine doses on official vaccination cards without actually administering the shots. Prosecutors alleged he provided these falsified records for a fee of $50 (£37), accepting either cash payments or donations made to a specific charity.
In addition to distributing fake vaccine cards, federal prosecutors claimed Dr. Moore administered saline injections to children in place of the Covid-19 vaccine at the request of their parents. The intention, according to the indictment, was to allow the children to believe they were receiving the real vaccine while actually avoiding it.
Dr. Moore, his clinic—the Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc.—and three others were charged with defrauding the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If convicted, the defendants faced up to 35 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.
Pam Bondi credited Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee, for bringing the case to her attention. She described them as champions in the fight to “end the weaponization of government.” Bondi emphasized that Dr. Moore’s actions did not merit the lengthy prison sentence he was facing.
Senator Lee expressed gratitude for the decision, thanking the Attorney General for “standing with the countless Americans who endured too many official lies, mandates, and lockdowns during COVID.”
The case comes amid ongoing public debate about the government’s pandemic response and vaccine mandates, with strong divisions between political factions. Dr. Moore’s supporters have argued that he was acting on principle, while critics view his actions as dangerous and deceptive.
The dismissal of the charges has drawn attention due to its political overtones and the involvement of high-profile figures in securing the decision.
Adding another layer to the story is the current U.S. Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who previously led the group Children’s Health Defense for eight years. The organization has frequently questioned vaccine safety and effectiveness. Although Kennedy has repeatedly said in the past year that he is not “anti-vax,” he has also pledged not to take away access to vaccines.
The developments in Dr. Moore’s case mark a dramatic turn in one of the more high-profile legal actions related to Covid-19 vaccine compliance and resistance during the pandemic.