U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Saturday she is dropping federal charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a Utah plastic surgeon who was accused of falsifying COVID-19 vaccination certificates, giving children saline shots instead of vaccines, and destroying over $28,000 worth of government-provided vaccines.
Why It Matters
This case represents a significant early policy shift by President Donald Trump‘s administration regarding COVID-19 vaccine enforcement and signals a broader departure from previous Justice Department priorities. The decision aligns with the administration’s embrace of vaccine skepticism and could set a precedent for how federal authorities handle similar cases moving forward.
The move intensifies scrutiny of Bondi’s leadership at the Justice Department, following recent firings of senior officials who worked on Trump-related investigations, raising questions about potential political influence in prosecutorial decisions.
At my direction @TheJusticeDept has dismissed charges against Dr. Kirk Moore.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.
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 12, 2025
What To Know
Moore, 58, from Salt Lake County, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2023 alongside his medical corporation and three co-defendants, including his neighbor.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Utah Felice John Viti filed the dismissal motion Saturday, stating “such dismissal is in the interests of justice.” The trial had begun Monday with jury selection in Salt Lake City and was expected to last 15 days before Bondi’s intervention ended the prosecution.
According to the 2023 federal indictment, Moore and his co-defendants faced up to 35 years in prison on charges including conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to convert government property, and aiding and abetting those efforts. The charges were brought during former President Joe Biden‘s administration after an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI.
The government alleged that Moore’s Plastic Surgery Institute of Utah destroyed at least $28,028.50 worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and distributed fraudulently completed vaccination record cards for 1,937 doses in exchange for cash payments or required “donations” to a specified charitable organization. Most significantly, the scheme allegedly involved administering saline shots to minors at their parents’ request, allowing children to believe they were receiving actual COVID-19 vaccines while their parents obtained fraudulent vaccination certificates.
Bondi justified dropping the charges by arguing on social media that Moore “gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so” and stated he “did not deserve the years in prison he was facing.”
The co-defendants included Kari Dee Burgoyne, 52, Kristin Jackson Andersen, 59, and Sandra Flores, 31, who worked alongside Moore in the alleged scheme.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic who refused during confirmation hearings to acknowledge scientific consensus on vaccine safety, has publicly supported Moore since April.
What People Are Saying
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s X post on Saturday: “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 thanked Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor: “This would not have been possible without @RepMTG who brought this case to my attention. She has been a warrior for Dr. Moore and for ending the weaponization of government.”
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s X post in April: “Dr. Moore deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing!”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Moore a hero on X and said: “We can never again allow our government to turn tyrannical under our watch.”
Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge, HHS Office of Inspector General (from 2023): “By allegedly falsifying vaccine cards and administering saline shots to children instead of COVID-19 vaccines, not only did this provider endanger the health and well-being of a vulnerable population but also undermined public trust and the integrity of federal health care programs.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller, HSI Las Vegas (from 2023): “This defendant allegedly used his medical profession to administer bogus vaccines to unsuspecting people, to include children falsifying a sense of security.”
What Happens Next
The dismissal effectively ends Moore’s federal prosecution, though questions remain about whether similar cases nationwide might face similar treatment under Bondi’s leadership.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.
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