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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.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Trump pardons GOP politician who spent memorial funds on plastic surgery and daughter's wedding
AP photo US president Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to Michele Fiore, a prominent Nevada Republican convicted of federal wire fraud. Fiore was awaiting sentencing after being found guilty in October 2024 of misusing funds meant to honour a fallen police officer. Prosecutors said she diverted more than $70,000 raised for a statue to cover personal expenses, including plastic surgery, rent, and her daughter's wedding. Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state legislator, has long been a public supporter of Trump. She ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2022 and was later appointed as a judge in Nye County, Nevada. Despite her conviction, she was elected last year to complete the term of a judge who had passed away, but was later suspended without pay due to her legal troubles. Trump pardons ex-Las Vegas councilwoman Michele Fiore after fraud conviction In a Facebook post on Thursday, Fiore thanked Trump for the pardon and claimed that she had been the target of a decade-long campaign by the US government and select media outlets. The White House confirmed the pardon but gave no explanation for the decision, reported news agency Associated Press. The move has drawn criticism from Democrats in Nevada. Hilary Barrett, Executive Director of the state's Democratic Party, called it a 'slap in the face' to law enforcement, accusing Trump of disregarding the seriousness of the crime. Fiore plans to return to the bench next week, though the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline has not yet issued a formal update on her suspension status. Fiore's legal troubles began in 2021 when FBI agents searched her Las Vegas home. Her conviction included six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faced the possibility of decades in prison before Trump's pardon overturned the verdict.
