• U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi dismissed charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., accused of COVID-19 vaccine fraud.
• Moore allegedly destroyed over $28,000 worth of vaccines, gave saline shots to minors, and sold fake vaccination cards.
• The decision signals a potential policy shift in federal COVID-19 enforcement under Trump’s administration.

The U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the dismissal of federal charges against Dr. Michael Kirk Moore Jr., a Utah plastic surgeon accused of falsifying COVID-19 vaccination records and disposing of over $28,000 worth of government-provided vaccines. Bondi stated that Moore "gave his patients a choice when the federal government refused to do so" and argued he did not deserve the jail time he was facing, which had been up to 35 years according to the indictment, filed under the Biden administration in 2023, which alleged various conspiracies against the government and public health programs, as reported by Reuters and Newsweek.

Moore's trial had begun earlier this month in Salt Lake City, where he faced serious allegations including administering saline shots to children at their parents' request so they could believe they were vaccinated. The charges also included distributing counterfeit vaccination certificates for over 1,900 doses, in exchange for cash or donations to a charitable organization, according to Los Angeles Times and BBC.

The decision to drop the charges follows significant scrutiny of Bondi’s leadership, particularly due to her firings of senior Justice Department officials who had previously worked on investigations into Trump-related matters, which some interpret as political retribution. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly supported Moore, saying in April that he "deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing," according to Reuters, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, and BBC.

Bondi’s order to dismiss the charges reflects a broader embrace of vaccine skepticism within the Trump administration, potentially influencing how similar cases are managed in the future. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senator Mike Lee, both Republicans, praised Bondi for her decision, claiming it prevents the "weaponization of government," as noted by Newsweek and BBC.