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By Hannah Parry
Associate News Editor
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A Nevada politician who was found guilty of using money intended for a memorial to honor a fallen officer on personal expenses including plastic surgery, has received a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Michele Fiore, former Las Vegas City councilwoman and Republican justice of the peace in Nye County, last year was convicted of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
She was scheduled to be sentenced next month and was facing up to 20 years in prison for each count until she was granted the full and unconditional pardon on Wednesday.
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Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.
The Context
The Nevada Republican, who was dubbed by some as "Lady Trump" for her gung-ho fiery brand of conservatism, rose to prominence during an unsuccessful bid to become the state's governor in 2021 on a staunch pro-Trump platform.
She has always denied misappropriating funds, claiming the federal investigation was part of a plot to end her political career due to her support for Trump.
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What To Know
Last week, a judge dismissed Fiore's request for an acquittal and new trial, meaning that she was headed for sentencing on May 14, when she could have faced decades in prison, according to 8NewsNow.
In a statement to Newsweek on Thursday, the former councilwoman said she was "deeply and eternally grateful to President Donald J. Trump for granting me a full and unconditional pardon."
"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," Fiore added.
During her 2024 trial, federal prosecutors said that Fiore raised over $70,000, purportedly for a statue honoring Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Alyn Beck, who was killed in the line of duty in 2014. Fiore was convicted of using those funds for personal expenses, including plastic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding.
"Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets," federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar told the court.
The FBI testified that agents had found the discrepancies in 2021 when agents subpoenaed records and searched her northwest Las Vegas home as part of a probe into her campaign finances during her failed run as governor.
Fiore's attorney, Michael Sanft, called the FBI's work "sloppy."
More than a dozen witnesses testified at the trial, including Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, who said Fiore had asked him to contribute to the memorial donations while he was Clark County sheriff. He said he had then sent a $5,000 check to Fiore's PAC. That exact same amount of money was then transferred to a bank account of Fiore's daughter and later used to cover Fiore's rent, according to an FBI agent.
Fiore's is one of hundreds of pardons that Trump has issued during his second term. Within days of returning to office, the president issued "full, complete and unconditional" pardons or commutations to almost 1,600 people involved in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has continued to grant several more in his first three months back in office.
The Constitution allows a president to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses, which end punishments and prevent any future ones, while restoring the recipient's right to run for public office.
What People Are Saying
Fiore said in a statement to Newsweek on Thursday: "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... To those who weaponized the justice system against me: I don't need to return fire. The truth already has. To my supporters who never stopped believing: this victory is yours too. Thank you for all your prayers."
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford slammed the pardon in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "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. I will continue to stand with our men and women in uniform."
Prosecutor Alexander Gottfried said in his closing argument in 2024: "She never cared about Officer Beck's memory or his sacrifice. She took those donors' money. She took it from people who were trying to do a good thing."
What Happens Next
Fiore, who was suspended as justice of the peace for Nye County after her conviction, said she plans to return to the role on Monday.
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