This Woman Used a Fallen Officer to Fund Her Facelift. Trump Pardoned Her.
Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore. Photo by Eric Jamison under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore once promised to honor a fallen police officer. Instead, she bankrolled her plastic surgery. Now, apparently, thanks to Donald Trump, she won't serve a single day in federal prison for it.
A Fundraiser Gone Off the Rails
Back in 2018, Fiore stood in front of a crowd at the Alyn Beck Memorial Park in Las Vegas and pledged to raise money for a statue of Officer Beck, who was ambushed and murdered in a chilling anti-government attack in 2014. Donors stepped up. A former Clark County sheriff even cut a check. But the statue? A local developer picked up the tab. Meanwhile, prosecutors said Fiore drained over $70,000 in donations to cover her rent, her daughter's wedding, and cosmetic procedures.
A jury convicted her in October 2024 on six counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy. Her sentencing loomed in May. Then Trump intervened.
A Presidential Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card
On April 23, Trump signed an unconditional pardon, wiping away Fiore's convictions. She announced it herself on Facebook, claiming a decade-long conspiracy had targeted her. The White House reportedly declined to explain the decision, but critics didn't hold back.
Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon "a slap in the face" to law enforcement, as reported by KTVU. According to the Reno Gazette Journal, a Change.org petition demanding Fiore's permanent removal from the bench gained over 1,000 signatures within days.
Fiore, now 54, reportedly plans to return to her judicial seat in Nye County.
Can Nevada Still Charge Her?
Trump's pardon only covers federal crimes. State prosecutors could still file charges, though they may already face a ticking clock. Nevada's statute of limitations for similar crimes ranges from one to three years. Fiore collected the funds in 2019 and 2020, which could make new charges legally murky.
UNLV law professor Benjamin Edwards told the Reno Gazette Journal, "A presidential pardon has the effect of removing any criminal liability for the pardoned actions under federal law, but the same underlying acts can form the basis for a state law prosecution."
The Nevada Attorney General's office hasn't said whether it will pursue charges, but pressure continues to mount.
Just One Name on a Long List
Fiore joins a growing roster of Trump allies who've walked free with a stroke of his pen. In his second wave of clemency, Trump reportedly pardoned nearly 1,600 people — many tied to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Among them: Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, and Silk Road mastermind Ross Ulbricht.
Even Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump's father-in-law, landed a pardon for tax evasion, campaign finance violations, and witness tampering. As the list of beneficiaries grows, so do the questions about what — and who — presidential clemency really protects.
Justice Denied or Justice Delayed?
Fiore hasn't apologized. Instead, she's doubling down. She celebrated the pardon and prepared to slide back onto the bench. Meanwhile, the donors she deceived — including Nevada's own governor — wait for accountability that may never come.
As UNLV's Edwards put it, "Given the way that justice was stolen from these deceased officers by a presidential pardon, it would surprise me if state authorities did not review the matter," according to the Reno Gazette Journal.
Fiore may consider her legal battle over. But the fight for public trust — and for Officer Beck's legacy — is far from finished.
References: Trump pardons Nevada lawmaker who used slain officer memorial funds for plastic surgery | After Trump's pardon, could Michele Fiore be retried in Nevada for fraud? | What are presidential pardons and who are the 1,600 people Trump has pardoned?
