The US attorney general has issued an order to drop charges against a doctor who faced allegations of destroying Covid-19 vaccines valued at $28,000 (£20,742), distributing counterfeit vaccination record cards, and administering saline shots to children instead of the vaccine, as requested by their parents.
Pam Bondi stated that Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr. “provided his patients with a choice when the federal government declined to do so.” The Justice Department, operating under the Biden administration, indicted him in 2023.
A plastic surgeon currently facing trial in Utah has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Felice John Viti, the acting US Attorney for the district of Utah, submitted a motion to dismiss the charges on Saturday, citing that this decision was made “in the interests of justice.”
In 2023, the US Attorney’s office in Utah reported that Dr. Moore faced allegations of issuing fraudulent vaccination certificates for over 1,900 vaccine doses.
Reports indicate that these were purportedly offered, without the actual administration of the vaccine, for a fee of $50 (£37), in return for direct cash payments or contributions to a designated charity.
According to the US attorney’s office, the government has also levelled accusations against him for administering saline shots to children at the request of their parents, allegedly to create the illusion that the children were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
He faced accusations in conjunction with his company, Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah, Inc., and three additional parties, alleging attempts to defraud both the United States government and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On Saturday, Bondi announced via X that she had instructed the Justice Department to dismiss the charges against Dr. Moore, stating that he “did not deserve the years in prison he was facing.”
According to her, US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee, both members of the Republican Party, have highlighted the case, referring to them as advocates for “ending the weaponization of government”.
Lee expressed gratitude to the attorney general for “supporting the numerous Americans who faced an overwhelming number of official falsehoods, mandates, and lockdowns throughout the COVID pandemic.”
Dr. Moore, along with other defendants, is facing potential prison sentences of up to 35 years on various charges, as reported by the Associated Press.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current US Health Secretary, led Children’s Health Defence for eight years, an organisation that consistently raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Kennedy has consistently asserted over the past year that he does not identify as “anti-vax” and has no intention of “taking away anybody’s vaccines”.
