Latest news with #LasVegasCityCouncil
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the Asian American woman breaking barriers in Las Vegas politics
[Source] Francis Allen-Palenske, who made history as the first Asian American woman elected to both the Nevada state legislature and Las Vegas City Council, is working to ensure AAPI voices help shape the city's future. Historic firsts: Allen-Palenske, who represents Ward 4, began her political journey at age 25 when she was first elected to the Nevada Assembly in 2004, becoming the first Asian American woman — and second Asian American, after Robert Wong — to serve in the position. The lifelong Nevadan, born to a U.S. Army vet and a South Korean mother, served two terms in the Assembly before running for and being elected to the Las Vegas City Council in November 2022, again becoming the first Asian American woman for the role. Outside politics, she is a successful small business owner with more than 15 years of experience in the Capriotti's Sandwich Shop system. Uplifting others: In a recent interview, Allen-Palenske reflected on her historic role with a focus on future leadership diversity. 'I'm tired of being first. I want to make sure there's an entire team of folks behind me to help lift the mantle,' she told KTNV. Last month, she acknowledged the diverse makeup of the current council, telling KLAS it includes 'three Latinas, an African American, a Jewish female and one Caucasian guy, and now a Korean.' Trending on NextShark: In terms of policy, the Republican official prioritizes public safety initiatives, supports locally owned businesses and encourages the next generation of AAPI leaders to pursue higher learning. 'Asian Americans, we love to focus on education — go to university, get that degree,' she said. This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
George Santos begs Trump for pardon after judge handed down 7-year sentence
Hours after receiving a 7-year federal prison sentence for a sweeping fraud scheme, out former Republican congressman George Santos made a public plea Friday night for a pardon from President Donald Trump — framing his conviction not as justice served but as politically motivated punishment. By Saturday, he doubled by promoting his Cameo account as a 'lifeline' to help pay bills and fulfill 'judicial obligations.' Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. 'Yes I'm on Cameo, and Yes I'm recording videos after yesterday,' Santos wrote on X, formerly Twitter. 'I have bills to pay and people to support financially… I have judicial obligations and I do not have time for sobbing and pouting.' His Saturday monetization pitch offered a striking contrast to his demeanor after court 24 hours earlier when he did not speak to the assembled press. Later, he took his frustration to social media. Related: George Santos sentenced to prison 'I believe that 7 years is an over the top politically influenced sentence,' Santos wrote in a 9:28 p.m. post Friday which he called the 'hardest statement I have ever written,' adding, 'I implore that President Trump gives me a chance to prove I'm more than the mistakes I've made.' Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced the 36-year-old ex-congressman to 87 months on Friday in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, New York, after Santos pleaded guilty to 23 felony counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and theft of public funds. Prosecutors said Santos used campaign funds for personal purchases, including Botox, designer clothing, and adult content, while also illegally collecting unemployment benefits during the pandemic. The court also ordered him to pay more than $370,000 in restitution and to forfeit more than $205,000. Related: Who is George Santos, the lying gay former Republican congressman being sentenced to prison? While Santos expressed remorse in a letter to the judge before sentencing, saying, 'This is mine to deal with and mine alone,' he quickly returned to public self-promotion. By Saturday, he defended continuing to sell video messages on Cameo, saying, 'Recording the videos has been a huge part of my income and livelihood and for that I am greatly humbled and appreciative.' 'I blew myself up in an ambition-filled quest,' he added. 'I made my bed and now I will lay in it. … So if you want to support me please feel free to book a special celebration cameo. As it is HONEST work.' Santos's Friday pardon request came after Trump issued a full and unconditional pardon to Michele Fiore, a former Las Vegas City Council member convicted of using funds meant for a slain police officer's memorial for cosmetic surgery, rent, and her daughter's wedding. Fiore, a staunch Trump supporter, faced up to 140 years in prison. She joins a growing list of controversial figures to receive clemency under Trump's second term. Others include Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road marketplace; Rod Blagojevich, the former Illinois governor convicted of corruption; and Hunter Biden associates Devon Archer and Jason Galanis, who helped House Republicans during the failed impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. In one of his first acts back in office, Trump issued blanket clemency for nearly all January 6 defendants. Related: Prosecutors seek 7-year prison sentence for George Santos in sweeping fraud case Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following a House Ethics Committee report detailing his campaign finance abuses and falsehoods. He has since attempted to reinvent himself through spectacle: launching a podcast, selling personalized messages on Cameo, and reviving his drag persona. Though Santos has publicly emphasized his LGBTQ+ identity, his voting record and political alignment placed him squarely with the far-right wing of the Republican Party. LGBTQ+ advocates criticized him for exploiting queer identity while promoting policies that harmed the community — and for falsely claiming to have lost employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting. As of Sunday, the White House had not commented on Santos's pardon request, and the Office of the Pardon Attorney had not listed any formal application. Santos has to turn himself in before July 25. The Bureau of Prisons has not yet announced where Santos will serve his sentence.
Washington Post
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump pardons Republican convicted of taking money meant for officer memorial
President Donald Trump has pardoned a former Republican Las Vegas City Council member convicted last year of using money meant to honor a slain police officer for plastic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding — one of several pardons the president has granted to his supporters since the start of his second term in office. Michele Fiore — whom outlets and pundits dubbed 'Lady Trump' for her gun-toting imagery and vociferous brand of conservatism — was found guilty in October on six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faced up to 140 years in prison. On Wednesday, Trump issued a 'full and unconditional pardon' for the ex-Las Vegas official, according to court documents filed by Fiore's attorneys Thursday. In the documents, Fiore's legal team asked U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey of the District of Nevada to vacate her sentencing, which had previously been set for May 14. Fiore's attorneys attached a certificate of the pardon with Trump's signature to the request. 'Michele Fiore, a former RNC Committeewoman and elected official from Nevada, made a name for herself through her outspoken and maverick personality,' a White House official said in a statement to The Washington Post. 'A supporter of President Trump, she was also the first female Republican Majority Leader in the Nevada State Assembly. Due to her outspoken conservative views, she became a target and incurred government investigation and prosecution. She was convicted of wire fraud, but now she has received a pardon.' Fiore's legal team told The Post in a statement that Trump's blanket pardon has given their client 'a new light.' 'We are excited for Michele to move forward with her life and continue her path of service to the community she loves so much,' lawyer Paola M. Armeni said Friday. Fiore in a social media statement accused federal prosecutors of unjustly targeting her and weaponizing the justice system against her. 'This act of mercy is not just a correction of a legal record — it is the restoration of a life, a reputation, and a mission long targeted for destruction,' she wrote. 'To every patriot, every mother, every woman who has been falsely accused — let this moment be your reminder: We don't break. We rise.' Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, criticized Trump's pardon, writing on X: 'Donald Trump's blatant disregard for law enforcement is sickening, and pardoning someone who stole from a police memorial fund is a disgrace.' 'As Nevada's top cop, I believe there's no room for reprieve when it comes to betraying the families of fallen officers,' Ford added. Fiore is the latest political ally to receive a full and unconditional pardon from the president. Since the start of his second administration, Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the now-defunct Silk Road online marketplace who had been sentenced to life in prison in 2015; and Rod Blagojevich, the disgraced former governor of Illinois who was convicted on multiple charges of corruption in 2011. Trump also granted clemency to two of Hunter Biden's ex-business associates: Devon Archer, who was convicted of securities fraud in 2018; and Jason Galanis, who was sentenced in 2017 to nearly two decades in prison for multiple fraud schemes. The pair helped Republicans during their failed impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. In one of the earliest acts of his presidency, Trump granted a blanket pardon to virtually all Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants and commuted the sentences of the remaining 14. Fiore served on the Las Vegas City Council from 2017 until 2022. Her fraud scheme began in July 2019 and lasted seven months, The Post previously reported. In 2018, the city had broken ground on Alyn Beck Memorial Park, a site in honor of Alyn Beck, a 41-year-old Las Vegas police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2014. Fiore proposed installing a statue of Beck at the park's entrance. A private real estate development company had already agreed to pay a sculptor to erect the statue, but Fiore began a fundraising campaign that solicited more than $70,000 from Nevadans, including Gov. Joe Lombardo (R), who was the sheriff of Clark County at the time. Fiore had promised donors that '100% of the contributions' would go toward the statue, but none of the raised funds were actually used, prosecutors said. Fiore instead used the money to maintain her lavish lifestyle, laundering the money through front companies and relatives. Fiore allegedly used some of the donations to write checks to her daughter, who then cashed them to pay for rent. María Luisa Paúl contributed to this report.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump pardons Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore for fraud conviction
April 25 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump pardoned former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore for her fraud conviction. "Today, I stand before you, not just as a free woman, but as a vindicated soul whose prayers were heard, whose faith held firm, and whose truth could not be buried by injustice," Fiore told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a statement. A motion to vacate her May 14 sentencing date was filed in the United States District Court District of Nevada Thursday by her lawyer "due to the Executive Grant of Clemency" signed Wednesday. Fiore was convicted in October on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. She used $70,000 she raised to build a memorial for two police officers who had died in the line of duty on personal bills for cosmetic procedures, her rent and her daughter's wedding. She could have been sentenced to as many as 100 years in prison. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford condemned the decision to pardon Fiore in an X post Thursday. "Donald Trump's blatant disregard for law enforcement is sickening, and pardoning someone who stole from a police memorial fund is a disgrace," he said
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump adds Nevada's Michele Fiore to his growing list of scandalous pardons
Nevada's Michele Fiore was already a notorious right-wing political figure when her career took a turn for the worse last summer: Fiore was indicted last July on a series of felonies, and the case against her appeared strong. According to the evidence compiled by federal prosecutors, Fiore used her position as a Las Vegas city councilor to raise money for a seemingly good cause: The Republican said she wanted to build a statue memorializing a police officer who'd been killed while on duty. The effort was successful, and Fiore raised tens of thousands of dollars. The statue, however, was never built. Instead, according to the criminal indictment, Fiore used the money to pay fundraising bills, subsidize her rent, pay for plastic surgery, and even help cover the expenses of her daughter's wedding. Though she pleaded not guilty, a jury heard the evidence and found her guilty of six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Following her conviction, Fiore was poised to be sentenced, and she as likely to be sent to prison for quite a while. That is, until Donald Trump intervened. NBC News reported: Trump has pardoned former Las Vegas City Council member Michele Fiore, who was due to be sentenced on wire fraud charges, according to a copy of the pardon her lawyer posted on the docket in connection with her case. Neither the president nor anyone on his team have explained why, exactly, he decided to let Fiore get away with her apparent felonies, but it's worth emphasizing for context that Fiore — who has occasionally been described as Nevada's 'Lady Trump' — is a longtime Trump supporter and loyalist. The pardon is also part of an indefensible pattern. As Trump prepared to leave the White House after his 2020 election defeat, the Republican issued some of the most controversial pardons in American history. After his second inaugural, he wasted no time in picking up where he left off. On the first day of his second term, Trump issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 Jan. 6 criminals, including violent felons who were in prison for assaulting police officers. A few days later, he kept going, pardoning 23 anti-abortion-rights activists, seemingly unconcerned with their guilt. That was soon followed by a pardon for former Gov. Rob Blagojevich, a man synonymous with corruption in Illinois politics, whom Trump saw as any ally. In early March, he pardoned a Tennessee Republican who was just two weeks into a 21-month sentence for his role in a campaign finance fraud scheme. In late March, he pardoned a prominent campaign donor. (Asked to defend the latter, the president struggled in unintentionally hilarious ways.) Taken together, Trump appears to have created an entirely new legal/political dynamic, without precedent in the American tradition, in which pardons are available to perceived political allies with whom the president sympathizes. Fiore is one of the most brazen examples, but she's not alone. Traditionally, presidents have issued pardons in order to right a wrong or protect those who have been falsely accused of wrongdoing. In 2025, if Trump sees a convicted criminal as an ally, that's apparently all the president needs to know. But let's also not overlook the soft spot Trump seems to have for politicians convicted of corruption. Indeed, the pattern is unmistakable. The Washington Post published this memorable roundup on the last day of Trump's first term: Since Trump took office, two incumbent Republican congressmen have been convicted of crimes, Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) and Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), as has a former congressman, Steve Stockman (R-Tex.). Trump pardoned all three of them. Trump also pardoned four former Republican congressmen convicted before his presidency: Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), Robin Hayes (R-N.C.), Mark Siljander (R-Mich.) and Randall 'Duke' Cunningham (R-Calif.). ... [A]ccording to GovTrack's Legislator Misconduct Database, Trump has now pardoned a majority of Republican congressmen convicted of felonies in the 21st century. As the president's second term gets underway in earnest, he hasn't just pardoned Fiore and a man synonymous with corruption in Illinois politics, his administration has also abandoned the criminal case against a former Republican congressman who'd already been found guilty of corruption by a jury, while simultaneously taking steps to abandon a corruption investigation targeting an incumbent Republican congressman. It's against this backdrop that the Trump administration also dropped corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The message to politicians convicted or accused of corruption couldn't be clearer: You have a friend in the Oval Office. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
