Trump's attorney general drops fraud case tied to COVID vaccinations
Bondi, in a statement posted on X, said Michael Kirk Moore Jr., of Salt Lake County, Utah did not deserve the jail time he was facing. Moore was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2023 and his trial had begun earlier this month.
"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.
COVID-19 vaccine skeptics have been embraced by the Trump administration. The Pentagon, for example, has sought to re-enlist servicemembers who were ousted for refusing to be vaccinated during the pandemic.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who for decades has sown doubt about the safety of vaccines contrary to evidence and research by scientists, wrote on X in April: "Dr. Moore deserves a medal for his courage and his commitment to healing!"
According to a 2023 statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Utah, Moore allegedly ran the false certifications out of a plastic surgery center. His activities allegedly included administering saline shots to minors, at the request of their parents, so the children would think they were receiving COVID-19 vaccines, the statement said.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a U.S. lawmaker from Georgia and staunch Trump supporter, had championed dropping the case against Moore, who she called a hero in a statement on Saturday.
"We can never again allow our government to turn tyrannical under our watch," she said in a post on X.
The latest move by Bondi comes amid scrutiny of her firings of senior Justice Department officials who worked on investigations into Trump, stoking accusations of political retribution in a department whose mission is to enforce U.S. laws.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
30 minutes ago
- Sky News
Wes Streeting says doctors' strikes 'a gift to Nigel Farage'
Wes Streeting has stepped up his war of words with junior doctors by telling Labour MPs that strikes would be "a gift to Nigel Farage". In a hard-hitting speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party, the health secretary claimed ministers were "in the fight for the survival of the NHS". And he said that if Labour failed in its fight, the Reform UK leader would campaign for the health service to be replaced by an insurance-style system. Mr Streeting 's tough warning to Labour MPs came ahead of a showdown with the British Medical Association (BMA) this week in which he will call on the doctors to call off the strikes. The BMA has announced plans for five days of strikes by resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - in England, which are due to begin on 25 July. At a meeting in parliament at which he received a warm reception from Labour MPs, Mr Streeting said: "The BMA's threats are unnecessary, unreasonable, and unfair. "More than that, these strikes would be a gift to Nigel Farage, just as we are beginning to cut waiting lists and get the NHS moving in the right direction. "What better recruitment agent could there be for his right-wing populist attacks on the very existence of a publicly funded, free at the point of need, universal health service? He is praying that we fail on the NHS. "If Labour fail, he will point to that as proof that the NHS has failed and must now be replaced by an insurance-style system. So we are in the fight for the survival of the NHS, and it is a fight I have no intention of losing." 2:27 The threatened strikes are in pursuit of a 29% pay rise that the BMA is demanding to replace what it claims is lost pay in recent years. The government has awarded a 5.4% pay increase this year after a 22% rise for the previous two years. Earlier, appearing before the all-party health and social care committee of MPs, Mr Streeting said the strike would be a "catastrophic mistake" and not telling employers about their intention to strike would be "shockingly irresponsible". He said BMA leaders seemed to be telling their members "not to inform their trusts or their employers if they're going out on strike" and that he could not fathom "how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels". He said: "Going on strike having received a 28.9% pay increase is not only unreasonable and unnecessary, given the progress that we've been making on pay and other issues, it's also self-defeating." He said he accepted doctors' right to strike, but added: "The idea that doctors would go on strike without informing their employer, not allowing planning for safe staffing, I think, is unconscionable, and I would urge resident doctors who are taking part in strike actions to do the right thing." Mr Streeting warned the strike would lead to cancellations and delays in patient treatment and spoke of a family member who was waiting for the "inevitable" phone call informing them that their procedure would be postponed. "We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed," he said. "I have a relative in that position. My family are currently dreading what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9% pay rise."
Sky News
31 minutes ago
- Sky News
Wes Streeting says doctor strikes 'a gift to Nigel Farage'
Wes Streeting has stepped up his war of words with junior doctors by telling Labour MPs that strikes would be "a gift to Nigel Farage". In a hard-hitting speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party, the health secretary claimed ministers were "in the fight for the survival of the NHS". And he said that if Labour failed in its fight, the Reform UK leader would campaign for the health service to be replaced by an insurance-style system. Mr Streeting 's tough warning to Labour MPs came ahead of a showdown with the British Medical Association (BMA) this week in which he will call on the doctors to call off the strikes. The BMA has announced plans for five days of strikes by resident doctors - formerly known as junior doctors - in England, which are due to begin on 25 July. At a meeting in parliament at which he received a warm reception from Labour MPs, Mr Streeting said: "The BMA's threats are unnecessary, unreasonable, and unfair. "More than that, these strikes would be a gift to Nigel Farage, just as we are beginning to cut waiting lists and get the NHS moving in the right direction. "What better recruitment agent could there be for his right-wing populist attacks on the very existence of a publicly funded, free at the point of need, universal health service? He is praying that we fail on the NHS. "If Labour fail, he will point to that as proof that the NHS has failed and must now be replaced by an insurance-style system. So we are in the fight for the survival of the NHS, and it is a fight I have no intention of losing." 2:27 The threatened strikes are in pursuit of a 29% pay rise that the BMA is demanding to replace what it claims is lost pay in recent years. The government has awarded a 5.4% pay increase this year after a 22% rise for the previous two years. Earlier, appearing before the all-party health and social care committee of MPs, Mr Streeting said the strike would be a "catastrophic mistake" and not telling employers about their intention to strike would be "shockingly irresponsible". He said BMA leaders seemed to be telling their members "not to inform their trusts or their employers if they're going out on strike" and that he could not fathom "how any doctor in good conscience would make it harder for managers to make sure we have safe staffing levels". He said: "Going on strike having received a 28.9% pay increase is not only unreasonable and unnecessary, given the progress that we've been making on pay and other issues, it's also self-defeating." He said he accepted doctors' right to strike, but added: "The idea that doctors would go on strike without informing their employer, not allowing planning for safe staffing, I think, is unconscionable, and I would urge resident doctors who are taking part in strike actions to do the right thing." Mr Streeting warned the strike would lead to cancellations and delays in patient treatment and spoke of a family member who was waiting for the "inevitable" phone call informing them that their procedure would be postponed. "We can mitigate against the impact of strikes, and we will, but what we cannot do is promise that there will be no consequence and no delay, no further suffering, because there are lots of people whose procedures are scheduled over that weekend period and in the period subsequently, where the NHS has to recover from the industrial action, who will see their operations and appointments delayed," he said. "I have a relative in that position. My family are currently dreading what I fear is an inevitable phone call saying that there is going to be a delay to this procedure. And I just think this is an unconscionable thing to do to the public, not least given the 28.9% pay rise."
The Guardian
32 minutes ago
- The Guardian
How the Jeffrey Epstein row plunged Maga world into turmoil
The Department of Justice's announcement that it did not have a list of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged clients, and that the convicted sex offender was not murdered, has plunged the rightwing world into turmoil. Conservative commentators and media figures, some of whom spent years pushing conspiracy theories about Epstein's death, have accused the government of covering up the hedge fund manager's crimes, with calls growing for Pam Bondi, the attorney general, to resign. The saga has pitted Trump, who was friends with Epstein for many years before later disowning the financier, against his base, with the president pleading over the weekend for his supporters to 'not waste time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein'. This is how we got here. Epstein is charged with federal sex-trafficking crimes in a Manhattan court. Prosecutors allege that Epstein, who was taken into custody, 'sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls' from 2002 to 2005 at homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. Epstein pleads not guilty. The charges come more than a decade after Epstein and the Miami US attorney's office reached a deal that ended a federal investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges, served 13 months in jail and registered as a sex offender. Guards find Epstein dead in his cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. On 16 August New York's chief medical examiner rules that the cause of death was suicide by hanging, but lawyers for Epstein say they are dissatisfied with the medical examiner's conclusions. Trump shares a tweet from rightwing comedian Terrence Williams, which claims Bill and Hillary Clinton were involved in Epstein's death. After criticism, Trump doubles down, telling reporters: 'The question you have to ask is, did Bill Clinton go to the island? Because Epstein had an island. That was not a good place, as I understand it, and I was never there.' Trump adds: 'So you have to ask, did Bill Clinton go to the island? That's the question. If you find that out, you're going to know a lot.' A spokesman for the Clintons says the family knows nothing about the crimes committed by Epstein, who was known to have a number of famous and powerful associates, including Prince Andrew. Trump himself was friends with Epstein, and in 2002 said he had known Epstein for 15 years, describing him as a 'terrific guy'. The pair later fell out following a bidding war on a Florida property. The official ruling that Epstein committed suicide does little to quell conspiracy theorists. Much of the commentary, particularly from the rightwing, focuses on Epstein's relationship with liberal figures, including Clinton. The phrase 'Epstein didn't kill himself' begins to spread online, with Joe Rogan and even Republican members of Congress posting it on social media. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's ex-partner and longtime confidante, is convicted of sex trafficking. The judge says Maxwell is 'guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable: facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. Crimes that she committed with her longtime partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein.' A trove of court documents identifying associates of Epstein are unsealed. The documents, which had been filed as part of a lawsuit against against Maxwell in 2015 by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre. Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson, David Copperfield and Donald Trump were among those named in the documents – although none of the men were accused of wrongdoing. Giuffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell forced her into a sexual encounter with Prince Andrew at age 17, and Giuffre sued Prince Andrew over the alleged sexual abuse. The suit settled in early 2022. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing. Trump, running for president, is asked in an interview if he would declassify 'the 9/11 files' and 'the JFK files'. He says yes. Trump is then asked if he would declassify 'the Epstein files', and initially says yes, but adds: 'I think that [declassifying the Epstein files], less so, because you don't know – you don't want to affect people's lives if there's phony stuff in there, because there's a lot of phony stuff with that whole world.' In an interview with Fox News, Pam Bondi is asked: 'The DoJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients, will that really happen?' Bondi replies: 'It's sitting on my desk right now to review.' Bondi will later suggest she was referring to Epstein case files, not a client list. After Trump and JD Vance pledged during the 2024 election campaign that they would release files relating to Epstein's crimes and contacts, the Department of Justice [DoJ] gives a group of conservative commentators binders labeled 'The Epstein Files: Phase 1'. The files contain little new information, leaving conspiracy theorists disappointed. Bondi describes the documents as the 'first phase of files', and in a statement the DoJ says it 'remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein's victims'. Amid a row over Trump's proposed tax bill, Elon Musk posts on X: 'Time to drop the really big bomb. @realdonaldtrump is in the Epstein files. That is why they have not been made public.' Musk later deletes the tweet. The DoJ announces that Epstein did not keep a client list, and said no more files related to his sex-trafficking investigation would be made public. The department releases an 11-hour video of the scene outside Epstein's cell during hours before and after his death, showing that no one entered or left the room. But a minute of footage is missing, prompting further speculation. Bondi says the missing minute is due to the Bureau of Prisons resetting the video. Rightwing media and commentators begin to lash out at the DoJ. Laura Loomer, the 32-year-old conspiracy theorist whose influence over Trump has come under scrutiny, accuses Bondi of 'covering up child sex crimes'. 'NO ONE IS BUYING THIS!! Next the DOJ will say 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed.' This is over the top sickening,' Alex Jones, the rightwing commentator and conspiracy theorist, writes on social media. On Truth Social, the rightwing, Trump-owned platform where people are usually united in their praise for the president and his administration, numerous users criticize the government over Epstein. Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI who spent years pushing conspiracy theories about Epstein's death, reportedly clashes with Bondi at the White House. Bondi accused Bongino of leaking to news outlets, after NewsNation reported that the FBI had wanted to release more information on Epstein 'months ago', but was prevented from doing so. NBC News reports that Bongino is considering stepping down from his post at the FBI amid the Bondi row. 'Bongino is out-of-control furious,' a source told NBC News said. 'This destroyed his career. He's threatening to quit and torch Pam unless she's fired.' Trump writes a lengthy Truth Social post pleading with his supporters. 'What's going on with my 'boys' and, in some cases, 'gals?' They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.' Trump adds: 'One year ago our Country was DEAD, now it's the 'HOTTEST' Country anywhere in the World. Let's keep it that way, and not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein, somebody that nobody cares about.' The post is the first time Trump has been 'ratioed' on Truth Social: more people comment on the post than like it, which typically suggests disagreement.
