Latest news with #MicheleFiore
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nevada commission to decide Michele Fiore's fate as Pahrump judge
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Pahrump judge and former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore was awaiting a commission's decision Friday on whether or not she could return to her courtroom after receiving a presidential pardon. Last month, President Donald Trump pardoned Fiore, a Nye County Justice of the Peace, after a jury convicted her of taking money meant for fallen police officers' memorials and spending it on herself. The jury deliberated for two hours, convicting her on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud. Following Fiore's federal indictment last July, the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline suspended her from office with pay amid the proceedings. The commission later suspended her without pay after her conviction. Trump pardoned Fiore on April 23. First elected as a Republican Nevada assemblywoman in 2012, Fiore later served as Las Vegas mayor pro tem and unsuccessfully ran for governor and treasurer as a Republican. Nye County Commissioners appointed her to her judgeship in late 2022. Last June, before her indictment, voters re-elected Fiore, who is not an attorney, to that position. Fiore and her attorney, Paola Armeni, appeared on Zoom before the commission Friday to ask the panel to remove her suspension order. 'When does this end?' Armeni said, adding the commission only has jurisdiction over a judge's actions as a sitting judge. 'The commission can no longer issue, rescind, and reinstate based on this conviction, based on the pardon. There is nothing before this commission about her conduct as a judge, nothing.' Fiore did not speak during the meeting. The commission's deliberations were private and not shown on the Zoom live stream. After Trump issued her pardon, Fiore promised a return to the bench on Monday, April 28, in the immediate aftermath of the presidential pardon. That Monday, she did not appear, telling the 8 News Now Investigators, who attended court that morning in Pahrump, that she would return to the bench 'once the procedural formalities are concluded.' 'On Monday, I will walk back into my courtroom as the elected justice of the peace — not because man permitted it, but because God ordained it,' Fiore originally said in a statement announcing her pardon. On June 8, 2014, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo were gunned down while they were on their lunch break in northeast Las Vegas. Fiore claimed to raise money for statues for the fallen officers, and some of the high-profile citizens from whom she collected donations were Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and the union boss Tommy White, both of whom testified at trial. During the trial, Lombardo said he was a victim. He has not commented publicly on the pardon. 'The only way my full story will ever be told is if I write it myself,' she said in late April, criticizing the media coverage. Fiore has alleged investigations into her began following her support for rancher Cliven Bundy and the armed standoff he had with the government in 2014. In court documents filed last year, she claimed the government had labeled her as a 'domestic terrorist.' Fiore could face state charges should the attorney general or the district attorney decide to move forward. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Commission to hold public hearing on Fiore's return to Nye County judgeship
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline will hold a hearing Friday to determine the future of Nye County Justice Court judge Michele Fiore, the disgraced politician pardoned by President Trump after a jury found her guilty of using fundraising money to pay for her own rent, cosmetic procedures and a daughter's wedding. 'At this hearing, the Commission will determine whether its Suspension Order, entered April 14, 2025, is still warranted following the presidential pardon and, if not, to determine whether Respondent poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the public or to the administration of justice,' the Commission wrote Friday. Fiore, suspended in July 2024 from her position as justice court judge in Pahrump, asked the federal court to grant her either an acquittal or a new trial after a jury deliberated for two hours and convicted her on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud in October 2024. The court denied that request, saying her claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and insufficient evidence to convict her were not enough to undo the jury's verdict, which took two hours to reach. 'In sum, Fiore's attempts to set aside the jury's verdicts are unavailing,' federal court judge Jennifer Dorsey wrote in her opinion. Fiore also argued in her motion that her trial attorney was ineffective, and that the trial judge should have stricken controversial testimony from Fiore's daughter, Sheena Siegel. Siegel ultimately testified in court, invoking her constitutional right not to incriminate herself for any role she might have played in Fiore's criminal wrongdoing. Fiore promised a return to the bench on Monday, April 28, in the immediate aftermath of the presidential pardon but did not appear, telling the 8 News Now Investigators, who attended court that morning in Pahrump, that she would return to the bench 'once the procedural formalities are concluded.' Friday's hearing, it seems, would be among those formalities to which Fiore referred in her message. Her pardon allowed her to take a virtual victory lap, which Fiore did on social media and in a statement — and further communication and criticism — to the news media. 'When the facts don't fit their narrative, they simply ignore them,' Fiore said of news reporters in a text message to the 8 News Now Investigators, claiming she was never convicted. 'That's exactly why I no longer trust the press to tell the truth.' Fiore was charged with — and a jury found her guilty of — wire fraud for raising money for statues for the fallen officers, and some of the high-profile citizens from whom she collected donations were Local 872 union boss Tommy White and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, both of whom testified at trial. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Promising return Monday, Michele Fiore a no-show at court for judge job
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Pahrump judge and former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore was a no-show in court Monday, days after President Donald Trump pardoned her on federal wire fraud charges. In October 2024, a jury convicted Fiore, suspended in July 2024 from her position as justice court judge in Nye County, after deliberating for two hours. The panel convicted her on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for taking money meant for fallen police officers' memorials and spending it on herself. 'There is no lawful conviction,' Fiore said in text messages Monday, adding she would return to the bench 'once the procedural formalities are concluded.' Fiore was convicted because a jury found her guilty, UNLV professor Benjamin Edwards said. 'The record is clear that a jury reached the conclusion that she was guilty of a crime. That is reality. The presidential pardon has the effect of relieving her from any federal legal penalty, sentence, or other legal detriment from the conviction. It does not erase reality, though.' On Thursday, April 24, Fiore announced the president's pardon, signed the day before. 'On Monday, I will walk back into my courtroom as the elected justice of the peace — not because man permitted it, but because God ordained it,' Fiore said in a statement. Fiore did not appear on Monday when the 8 News Now Investigators visited court. On June 8, 2014, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo were gunned down while they were on their lunch break in northeast Las Vegas. Fiore claimed to raise money for statues for the fallen officers, and some of the high-profile citizens from whom she collected donations were Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and the Local 872 union boss Tommy White, both of whom testified at trial. During the trial, Lombardo said he was a victim. He has not commented publicly on the pardon. Earlier this month, Fiore lost her bid for either an acquittal or a new trial, a judge had ruled. Fiore remained on unpaid suspension from the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline as of Monday. 'The only way my full story will ever be told is if I write it myself,' she said, criticizing the media coverage. Fiore has alleged investigations into her began following her support for rancher Cliven Bundy and the armed standoff he had with the government in 2014. In court documents filed last year, she claimed the government had labeled her as a 'domestic terrorist.' Fiore could face state charges should the attorney general or the district attorney decide to move forward. 'In order for a case involving Michele Fiore to come over to our office, it would have to be sent over by a law enforcement agency,' Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said on the radio show 'The Middle Ground.' 'I don't know that there's a law enforcement agency that would send that over to my office for review. If they did we would review it like any other case and make a decision one way or another to file charges. But to my knowledge, nobody's contacted me.' Last week, an administrator at Nye County Justice Court told the 8 News Now Investigators that they were waiting for guidance from the Commission on Judicial Discipline. Fiore, first elected as a Republican Nevada assemblywoman in 2012, later served as Las Vegas mayor pro tem and unsuccessfully ran for governor and treasurer as a Republican. Nye County Commissioners appointed her to her judgeship in late 2022. Last June, voters re-elected Fiore, who is not an attorney, to that position. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Trump pardons Nevada politician who used $70K from slain cop's memorial funds to pay for plastic surgery, daughter's wedding
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. 4 President Donald Trump has pardoned Nevada Republican politician, Michele Fiore, who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for honoring a slain police officer for personal costs. TNS The White House confirmed Fiore had been pardoned but did not comment on the president's decision. 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. 4 Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. AP 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. 4 In a Facebook statement, Fiore expressed gratitude to Trump while also accusing the U.S. government and 'select media outlets' of a decade-long conspiracy to 'target and dismantle' her life. AP 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 it is awaiting an update on Fiore's current suspension from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline, which told The Associated Press in an email that it was aware that Fiore had been pardoned but that it didn't have further comment on her situation. 4 The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. Getty Images AP also sent an email seeking comment from 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.
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump pardons GOP fraudster who paid for plastic surgery with slain cop memorial fund
Donald Trump has pardoned a disgraced Nevada Republican who spent part of the $70,000 raised to erect a memorial of a slain police officer on plastic surgery procedures. Michele Fiore, 54, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The 54-year-old former Las Vegas City councilwoman and state lawmaker, who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was due to be sentenced May 14. The pro-gun, anti-vaccine advocate who has been styled by the media as ' Lady Trump ' expressed her 'eternal' gratitude to the president after she was granted a full and unconditional pardon Wednesday. Fiore accused the federal government and 'select media outlets' of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to 'target and dismantle' her life in a lengthy Facebook statement on Thursday, which was then removed but archived by The Nevada Independent. 'Today, I stand before you — not just as a free woman, but as a vindicated soul,' she said. 'For nearly a decade, I endured relentless persecution by a federal machine determined to break me.' According to the indictment, Fiore's criminal scheme unfolded over a seven-month period between July 2019 and January 2020, while serving on the Las Vegas City Council. Fiore had reportedly raised more than $70,000 for the statue of Las Vegas Metro Police Department officer Alyn Beck, who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty. Court records showed a private real estate company actually paid for the statue, which was unveiled in January 2020. Instead, the MAGA-aligned conspiracy theorist who once said that cancer is 'a fungus' that can be cured by flushing saltwater through the body, spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding, prosecutors said. '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 news agency said it 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. Prior to her political career, Fiore co-wrote, produced, and starred in Siren, a 2006 film about Storm Fagan — played by Fiore — an 'ordinary overweight middle-aged wife and mom' whose 'dream of being a rock star still weighs heavy on her soul,' according to an IMDb synopsis. The Independent has reached out to the White House for more information.
