Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced the dismissal of criminal charges against Utah plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Kirk Moore. Moore was on trial for allegedly creating and selling fake vaccine cards during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case, brought by the Justice Department in 2023, accused Moore and his team of faking nearly 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine records. The group was also charged with destroying government-supplied vaccines worth over $28,000.
According to court documents, Moore and his three co-defendants provided fake vaccine cards to people in exchange for cash or donations to a charity. The cards were sold for $50 each between May 2021 and September 2022. Authorities claim the group used saline shots instead of actual vaccines, especially when vaccinating minors, based on parents’ requests.
Moore denied all charges. One co-defendant accepted a plea deal on a lesser charge. Another agreed to a diversion program. A fourth person remained on trial alongside Moore. It is unclear whether the charges against them will also be dropped.
Moore’s legal team argued that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine rules were not constitutional. They claimed he offered families a choice at a time when vaccine mandates were strict.
Bondi defended her decision on social media. She said Moore was punished unfairly for giving people an option. She thanked Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for highlighting the case. Greene had previously voiced doubt about COVID-19 vaccines. She also praised Moore on social media, calling him a hero for not injecting his patients with what she described as a risky government vaccine.
Federal prosecutors had earlier charged Moore with conspiracy to misuse government property and aiding the sale of stolen goods. These charges were related to the discarded vaccines and fake records created during the alleged scheme.
Bondi’s decision arrives during a time of growing tension inside the Justice Department. A recent disagreement between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, concerning a review of the Jeffrey Epstein case, has created unrest. Bongino did not show up for work Friday and is reportedly thinking about stepping down.
Despite the political attention and debate, the full details about the dropped charges are still unfolding. It is also unknown what will happen next in the legal process for Moore’s co-defendants.
