Trump pardons Nevada politician who paid for her plastic surgery with funds to honor a slain officer
By RIO YAMAT 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 Related Articles DNC chair rips vice chair David Hogg s plan to challenge incumbent Democrats In unintended filing federal attorneys poke holes in Trump administration s effort to end NYC toll ICE preparing for second surge in arrests in Greater Boston Texas lawmakers approve B private school voucher plan Hegseth had an unsecured internet line set up in his office to connect to Signal AP sources say Michele Fiore a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in for state treasurer was determined 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 announcement Thursday on Facebook the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U S establishment 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 announced at trial that Fiore had raised more than for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in in the line of duty but had instead spent certain of it on cosmetic surgery rent and her daughter s wedding Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar commented FBI agents in subpoenaed records and searched Fiore s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending In a declaration 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 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 report Thursday Fiore also announced she plans to return to the bench next week Nye County explained 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 to She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from to While serving as a state lawmaker Fiore gained national attention for her endorsement of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville Nevada in and Malheur Oregon in
