Trump pardons Nevada politician who paid for her plastic surgery with funds to honor a slain officer
LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.
Michele Fiore
, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was
found guilty
in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.
In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the
loyal Trump supporter
expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and 'select media outlets' of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to 'target and dismantle' her life.
The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.
Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding.
'Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,' federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.
FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore's home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending.
In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon 'reckless' and a 'slap in the face' to law enforcement officers.
Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was
appointed as a judge
in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.
She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour's drive west of Las Vegas.
In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.
Nye County said in an email to The Associated Press that it is awaiting an update from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline on Fiore's current suspension. The AP sent emails seeking comment to the commission, as well as Fiore's lawyer.
Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.
While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon,
in 2016
.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
17 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
New Hampshire extends ‘education freedom account' eligibility to all students, regardless of income
Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up With this policy change, state-level spending on EFAs is projected to climb from Advertisement Ayotte said these numbers represent a fiscally responsible approach to a core commitment. 'As a mom, I can't think of anything more important than making sure that every child in this state has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential in the setting that works best for them in terms of education, and that's really what this bill does,' she said. Advertisement Ayotte was joined at a bill-signing ceremony by outgoing Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, lawmakers who supported the EFA expansion, and a cadre of children. The bill's prime sponsor, Republican Senator Victoria L. Sullivan of Manchester, said the legislation will help Although other states in New England have school-choice programs, New Hampshire's policies already ranked highest in the region in terms of ' With its latest move, New Hampshire has 'set a new benchmark for what educational freedom should look like,' Robert Enlow, president and CEO of Until now, the EFA program had allowed those earning up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level (about $112,500 for a family of four) to take money the state would have contributed toward the cost of their public education and instead spend it on private school or certain other educational expenses. Since the state contributes The actual financial impacts will depend in large part on which newly eligible students opt to participate. A student who uses EFA money to transfer from a public charter school to a private school, for example, could save the state about $5,100 per year, but a student who uses the money to continue attending a private school where they were already enrolled could cost the state an additional $4,400 per year, according to legislation's fiscal impact statement. Advertisement In 2021, when lawmakers first considered establishing the EFA program, the New Hampshire Department of Education estimated that What's more, critics have noted that a public school's overhead costs do not necessarily decrease at a rate proportional to the number of local students who opt to use EFA money elsewhere. Megan Tuttle, president of National Education Association in New Hampshire, said the EFA expansion 'will exacerbate the already inequitable public education funding system in New Hampshire.' Deb Howes, president of American Federation of Teachers in New Hampshire, said the state is 'underfunding' public schools, so it's 'appalling' that the EFA expansion will extend subsidies to families who can already afford to pay for the education of their choosing. 'That is the one priority they're going to fund in the budget, while Democratic Representative David Luneau of Hopkinton said spending on the EFA program could balloon more than the budgeters have projected. 'We're potentially looking at north of $100 million once this program is fully phased in over the next few years,' he said, calling the program 'an unaccountable and Advertisement The legislation that Ayotte signed into law includes a circuit-breaker provision to limit how rapidly the EFA program can expand. No more than 10,000 students will be allowed to participate for the 2025-2026 school year. If more than 9,000 students apply, then the cap will increase to 12,500 students in the following school year. (Whenever the number of EFA applicants exceeds 90 percent of the maximum, the cap will increase by 25 percent in the following school year.) Once the number of applications remains below the cap for two consecutive school years, the cap will disappear. There are currently about The state's EFA program is administered by the Steven Porter can be reached at
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Passenger calls in a bomb threat to Spirit Airlines after he missed his flight
A Michigan man has been arrested for allegedly calling in a fake bomb threat on a flight that he missed. On Thursday, John Charles Robinson, 23, of Michigan, was supposed to depart from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport en route to Los Angeles. He missed his flight with Spirit Airlines and was told he would have to rebook if he wanted to travel, ABC News reports. According to U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Jr, Robinson then "used a cell phone to call into Spirit Airlines and conveyed false information about a bomb threat to Flight 2145 departing from Detroit Metro bound for Los Angeles." 'During the call, Robinson stated in part, 'I was calling about 2145… because I have information about that flight,' and 'there's gonna be someone who's gonna try to blow up the airport,' and 'there's gonna be someone that's gonna try to blow up that flight, 2145,'' the affidavit says. Robinson allegedly provided the operator with a description of the imaginary bomber, and told them that "they're going to be carrying a bomb through the TSA" and "they're still threatening to do it, they're still attempted to do it, they said it's not going to be able to be detected. Please don't let that flight board." Spirit Airlines responded by immediately cancelling the flight and deplaning the crew and passengers for safety reasons. According to an airline official, bomb sniffing dogs and FBI agents were deployed to sweep the plane, but no explosives were found. During their investigation, FBI agents learned that Robinson had actually been booked on Flight 2145 but had missed boarding. When Robinson returned to the airport to fly out to Los Angeles, FBI agents took him into custody and played a recording of his alleged bomb threat back to him. "Robinson listened to the above-mentioned recording and confirmed he was the one that made the recorded phone call to Spirit Airlines," officials said. "Robinson also stated that the phone number that called the bomb threat in to Spirit Airlines was his phone number (and had been for approximately 6 years), that the target cellular device was his device, and he gave written consent for a search of his device." Robinson has been charged with using a cellphone to threaten or malicious convey false information concerning an attempt or alleged attempt to damage or destroy an airplane by means of an explosive, and the second is for spreading false information and hoaxes. 'No American wants to hear the words 'bomb' and 'airplane' in the same sentence. Making this kind of threat undermines our collective sense of security and wastes valuable law enforcement resources,' Gorgon said. Robinson's first court appearance was on Friday afternoon, at which time he was released on a $10,000 bond. His next appearance is scheduled for June 27 for a preliminary examination.
Hamilton Spectator
25 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
An immigrant Wisconsin man falsely accused of threatening Trump can be released on bond
CHICAGO (AP) — An immigrant man who was falsely accused of threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump can be released from a Wisconsin prison on bond, an immigration judge determined Tuesday. Ramón Morales Reyes was accused of a writing a letter threatening Trump in a blistering social media post by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The post includes Morales Reyes' photo and an excerpt from the letter he purportedly wrote in English. But the claims quickly fell apart as Wisconsin authorities determined that Reyes, who doesn't speak English well or write in the language, was framed. The immigrant from Mexico was a victim in a violent 2023 attack where his bike was stolen. According to authorities, the alleged attacker, Demetric D. Scott , forged the letter to try to clear his case. Morales Reyes was set to be a witness in Scott's July trial for armed robbery and aggravated battery. Judge Carla Espinoza set Morales Reyes bond at $7,500 during a brief hearing at immigration court in Chicago. 'The defendant does not present a danger to the community,' she said. Morales Reyes, 54, appeared virtually from Dodge Detention Center in Juneau, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Milwaukee. He could be released this week if the federal government does not appeal. An attorney for the federal government did not speak at the hearing. In a statement Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said it would 'continue to fight for the arrest, detention, and removal' of immigrants without legal status but did not respond to a question about whether government attorneys would appeal Morales Reyes' bond. Morales Reyes, a married father of three U.S. citizen children, works as a dishwasher in Milwaukee. He was arrested by immigration agents last month after dropping a child off at school. He immigrated from Mexico in the 1980s and doesn't have legal permission to be in the U.S. This year, he applied for a U visa, which is for people in the country illegally who are victims of serious crimes. Getting such a visa can take years. Homeland Security issued a statement to reporters last week saying that although Morales Reyes was no longer considered a threat to Trump, federal attorneys would still pursue an immigration case. The government alleges that Morales Reyes reentered the U.S. times numerous times without a visa. However, Noem's social media post blaming Morales Reyes for an assassination attempt, which was circulated by Trump supporters, remains online. Cain Oulahan, an attorney for Morales Reyes, said his client is a crime victim and blasted the misinformation. 'We'd like to hear an official public correction and that someone else is responsible,' he said. Ahead of Tuesday's hearing, Morales Reyes daughter spoke to reporters, saying her father is hardworking and always focused on putting food on the table and keeping a roof over the family's heads. She said he also loved to take his children to parks or for walks and planned frequent cookouts. 'My dad is a not a threat to anyone. He is a good man who got caught up in a terrible situation,' said Anna Morales. 'Now that the truth has been proven, I ask from the bottom of my heart he gets the justice he deserves. We need him more than words can explain.' Scott, who is in the Milwaukee County Jail, is due in court Tuesday on the newer charges related to the letter, including felony witness intimidation and identity theft. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
