Donald Trump pardons GOP politician who spent memorial funds on plastic surgery and daughter's wedding

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.

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.