CNN
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The Department of Justice has abruptly dropped all charges against a Utah doctor and three of his associates who were accused of destroying Covid-19 vaccines and falsifying records, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday in a post on X.
Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a certified plastic surgeon in Utah, was initially charged in 2023 after federal prosecutors alleged he and some members of his staff organized a scheme destroying more than $28,000 worth of government provided Covid-19 vaccines and distributed almost two thousand fraudulent vaccination cards in exchange for cash.
Prosecutors further alleged Moore and his associates administered saline shots to minors so children would think they were receiving the vaccine, according to a 2023 US Attorney’s Office news release and court documents.
The case has been a focus for the MAGA base as Bondi thanked Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for bringing the case to her attention and Sen. Mike Lee “who has been a champion for advocating to end the weaponization of government.”
Saturday’s announcement comes as Bondi faces increased anger among the GOP base over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, with calls for her to resign.
“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 posted to X.
The case had been highly scrutinized by high profile Republican leader including US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has particularly been a loud advocate against vaccines, dismissing all members of The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee just last month.
CNN’s Evan Perez contributed to this report.
