Suspended Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore denied using donations for personal expenses Monday during the first day of a hearing before the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline. The commission charged her with three violations of judicial conduct rules related to actions that led to a 2024 federal guilty verdict on conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Fiore, a former Las Vegas councilwoman, was pardoned by President Donald Trump in April 2025, but the pardon did not resolve the separate discipline proceedings. She remains suspended from the bench with pay, having collected nearly $200,000 in salary and benefits since her July 2024 indictment.
Federal prosecutors previously accused Fiore of raising tens of thousands of dollars for a park and statue honoring Metropolitan Police Officer Alyn Beck, who was killed in 2014, then spending the money on personal expenses including rent, plastic surgery and her daughter's wedding. The statue was ultimately paid for by developer Olympia Companies. Fiore testified she never received a bill from Olympia and assumed chief executive Garry Goett had handled the cost. "In my heart, I'm like, 'I bet Gary just handled it,'" Fiore said. "That's just what I thought. And we just kept going."
Fiore said she raised money for more than just the statue and estimated she "easily" spent at least $160,000 from her campaign on community events from July 2019 to February 2020. She denied using any donations for personal use. "Never, never, never," Fiore answered when asked directly. She also said no donor has ever asked for their money back and that she would have reimbursed them if asked. "I can't express to you (enough) that this case is convoluted," Fiore said. "And now I'm not a judge because of it, and that hurts. My life has been ruined for two and a half years."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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