DOJ drops charges on Utah surgeon accused of COVID-19 vaccine scheme

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The U.S. Justice Dept. has dropped the charges against Utah plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., who faced multiple federal charges for an alleged scheme to provide fake vaccine cards, inject saline into his minor patients, and destroy thousands of dollars’ worth of COVID-19 vaccines.

The move comes at the direction of United States Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“At my direction @TheJusticeDept has dismissed charges against Dr. Kirk Moore,” Bondi posted on X. “Dr. Moore gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so. He did not deserve the years in prison he was facing. It ends today.”

Bondi said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, a Congresswoman representing Georgia’s 14th District and Chairwoman of DOGE, brought the case to her attention. Bondi said Rep. Green has been “a warrior” for Dr. Moore and for “ending the weaponization of government.”

Bondi also thanked Sen. Mike Lee for being “a champion for advocating to end the weaponization of government, including to Dr. Moore” on X Saturday morning.

“Glad that we could ensure Dr. Moore remains a free man!” Sen. Lee replied on X. “Thank you for standing with the countless Americans who endured too many official lies, mandates, and lockdowns during COVID.”

Sen. Lee wasn’t the only politician from Utah backing Dr. Moore’s. Utah’s House Speaker, Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, also spoke out against the charges against Dr. Moore earlier this week at a rally held on his behalf. The event took place on the steps of the Federal Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake before Dr. Moore faced jury selection in his scheduled 15-day jury trial.

While the charges have been dropped, the U.S. Attorney’s office for Utah alleged that in 2023, Dr. Moore “destroyed at least $28,028.50 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines, and distributed at least 1,937 doses’ worth of fraudulently completed vaccination record cards to others in exchange for either direct cash payments or required ‘donations’ to a specified charitable organization, without administering a COVID-19 vaccine to the card recipient.”

You can read more about the accusations brought forth against Dr. Moore in 2023 here.

No further information is available at this time.