President Trump pardoned Michele Fiore, a Republican member of the Las Vegas City Council who was convicted for using donations raised for a statue of a fallen police officer on herself instead.
Mr. Trump pardoned Ms. Fiore, who was awaiting sentencing for fraud, on Wednesday, according to court documents.
The White House confirmed the pardon to The Washington Times.
Ms. Fiore is a staunch Trump supporter who has sometimes been called “Lady Trump.”
She was convicted in October of using more than $70,000 raised to erect a statue of a police officer who was killed in the line of duty for personal expenses such as cosmetic surgery and rent payments.
When she was convicted of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, prosecutors said she “used a tragedy to line her pockets.”
Her sentencing was scheduled for next month, and she was facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count. The pardon came just days after a federal judge denied her request for an acquittal and a new trial.
Ms. Fiore had a lengthy Facebook post expressing gratitude to Mr. Trump and accusing the government and some media of trying to “target and dismantle” her life, The Associated Press reported.
The Nevada Democratic Party slammed Mr. Trump’s pardon.
“There isn’t a shred of ’law and order’ left in the Republican Party after Trump pardoned Michele Fiore who was found guilty of stealing from a charity benefiting a fallen officer to pay for her rent and plastic surgery,” Executive Director Hilary Barrett said in a statement.
“Donald Trump’s blatant disregard for our men and women in uniform is yet another slap in the face to those who put their lives on the line every single day to keep our communities safe,” she said.
Ms. Fiore served in the Nevada Legislature from 2012-2016 and the Las Vegas City Council from 2017-2022. She briefly ran for governor in 2021 but switched to a campaign for state treasurer. She lost in the general election.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
