The federal government dismissed charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore, a plastic surgeon from Midvale, Utah, who had been accused of several serious offenses related to COVID-19 vaccinations. These accusations included throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, administering saline shots to children instead of the actual vaccine, and selling fraudulent vaccination cards. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the dismissal via a post on the social media platform X, indicating that this decision was made under her direction.
Dr. Moore and other co-defendants were facing significant legal repercussions, with potential prison sentences of up to 35 years. They were charged with conspiracy to defraud the government, conspiracy to illegally dispose of government property, and aiding in these illegal activities. The original charges were brought forward during Joe Biden's presidency on January 11, 2023, through an indictment returned by a federal grand jury. Allegations outlined in the indictment stated that over $28,000 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccine doses were destroyed.
The accusations extended beyond vaccine disposal; the defendants were also alleged to have provided fraudulent vaccination record cards for more than 1,900 doses of the vaccine. In exchange for these cards, patients either paid cash or made donations to a specific charitable organization. Additionally, some children were reportedly given saline shots—per the request of their parents—under the pretense that they were receiving the actual vaccine.
On Saturday, Felice John Viti, the acting U.S. attorney for Utah, filed a motion to dismiss the charges against Dr. Moore, stating that this decision serves the "interests of justice." The trial had commenced in Salt Lake City with jury selection set to take place, and it was anticipated to run for 15 days. The abrupt dismissal of the charges came shortly after the process had begun.
In her announcement, Bondi expressed her belief that Dr. Moore had provided his patients with a choice in a situation where she claimed the federal government had failed to do so. Particularly, she emphasized that he should not have faced the lengthy prison sentence proposed by the government, and she indicated that his legal troubles were concluding as of that day. Support for Dr. Moore also came from Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., a noted anti-vaccine activist, who publicly praised Moore for his actions and commitment to healing.
In a follow-up post on X, Bondi revealed that Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had brought Dr. Moore's case to her attention, implying that political influence may have played a role in the decision to dismiss the charges. These events unfolded amidst a complex backdrop of debates around vaccines, public health policies, and individual rights during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to reports, messages sent to the U.S. Department of Justice, Viti's office in Salt Lake City, and Dr. Moore himself had not garnered immediate responses, leaving some uncertainty regarding the ramifications of the dismissal and its wider implications for similar cases in the future.
