President Donald Trump pardoned Michele Fiore, a Nevada Republican politician, weeks before her scheduled sentencing for federal wire fraud charges.
Fiore was convicted in October 2024 on six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for misusing over $70,000 in charitable donations intended for fallen officers' memorials. She allegedly used the funds for personal expenses, including cosmetic surgery and rent.
The White House confirmed the pardon, describing the prosecution as unfair due to Fiore's conservative views. Fiore herself attributed the prosecution to a personal vendetta by a prosecutor.
The pardon was a full and unconditional executive grant of clemency. Court filings from Fiore's lawyers, including a copy of the pardon, were submitted to vacate her May 14 sentencing date.
Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker, maintained her innocence and framed the charges as politically motivated.
The pardon prevents Fiore from facing a potentially lengthy prison sentence. She celebrated the pardon, stating she is now a 'free woman'.
The pardon occurred shortly after Fiore's request for a new trial was denied.
Court filings from her lawyers included a copy of the presidentâs pardon.
President Donald Trump has pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges, according to court documents filed in her case and the White House.
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.
A White House official confirmed the pardon to The Epoch Times on Friday morning, characterizing the prosecution against Fiore as unfair and also confirming it was a full and unconditional pardon.
âDue 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,â the official said.
The Epoch Times also contacted Fiore for comment. In a statement posted on social media, she confirmed the pardon was granted and that she now stands âas a free womanâ and as a âvindicated soul whose prayers were heard, whose faith held firm, and whose truth could not be buried by injustice.â
âThis act of mercy is not just a correction of a legal recordâit is the restoration of a life, a reputation, and a mission long targeted for destruction,â she said.
The pardon means Fiore evades a potentially decades-long sentence in federal prison. She was convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for executing a scheme to defraud charitable donors, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
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 daughterâs wedding.
In her statement that was posted on social media, Fiore characterized the trial and prosecution as part of a longstanding, politicized effort by federal prosecutors to target her. One prosecutor, she claimed, was acting on a personal vendetta against her and âpursued this vengeance for years, misusing the power of his office to fulfillâ it, she said.
Fiore was appointed as a judge in 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 she had been suspended due to her legal troubles.
Fiore served in the Nevada state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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