‘Lady Trump’ was convicted for fraud and then pardoned by the president. The White House didn’t say why.

President Donald Trump pardoned Michele Fiore, a Nevada judge and former Las Vegas City Council member, before she could be sentenced for defrauding donors. The White House has not explained the decision. Its statement to MS NOW did not contest her guilt, describing her instead as a Trump supporter who became the target of a government investigation.

A jury needed under two hours in 2024 to convict her of wire fraud. Money raised for a memorial statue honoring two slain police officers went to plastic surgery, rent and her daughter's wedding instead. Fiore says the FBI, the Justice Department and the media set her up. Her attorney, Kristine Wildevelt, says the White House vetted the case thoroughly and the pardon was deserved.

The pardon kept Fiore out of prison but not off the sidelines: Nevada's judicial discipline board suspended her from the bench, and courts upheld that despite the clemency. She then lost her re-election bid in Pahrump, placing third among four candidates. Jon Ralston of The Nevada Independent suggests the pardon reflects political loyalty. Trump has similarly cleared other Republicans convicted of fraud or corruption, including Scott Jenkins, Michael Grimm and John Rowland.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →