Just in time for this week’s Republican National Convention, Nevada’s Trump firebrand and former Republican National Committee Committeewoman Michele Fiore finds herself back in the news. But not for making a surprise appearance at the convention, spewing racially insensitive remarks, wielding high-powered weapons in political ads or announcing yet another run for elected office — nothing so mundane.

The former Las Vegas City Council member and current Pahrump justice of the peace has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly defrauding donors to a charity purporting to raise funds to create a statue memorializing fallen Las Vegas police officers.

The one conspiracy and four wire fraud charges stem from Fiore’s alleged promise to donors that “100 percent of the contributions” would go toward the statue’s creation. Instead, prosecutors allege, tens of thousands of dollars in donations wound up in Fiore’s pockets and were used to pay political bills, rent and were funneled to family members. Some of the funds were even used to help pay for Fiore’s daughter’s wedding.

As detailed in the indictment, the charges are based on repugnant behavior. Fiore is accused of fundraising off the violent deaths of decorated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers Alyn Beck and Igor Soldo, who were murdered by a pair of self-styled revolutionaries who had been kicked out of the same 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff with federal agents that she had so publicly supported.

She’s accused of soliciting contributions for the memorial statue and directing donations to an account she controlled through an unnamed person despite the fact a company had already volunteered to pay for the project.

The charges were made public Wednesday morning in a U.S. Department of Justice news release and announced by principal deputy assistant attorney general Nicole M. Argentieri, who heads the criminal division, and Las Vegas FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans, whose office is investigating the case.

Now 53, Fiore has been making headlines for the wrong reasons for a long time. Her home health care business endeavors were plagued by hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax liens for more than a decade and came into focus after she was elected to the state Assembly in 2012. With her rapid rise in 2014 to Assembly majority leader and a coveted assignment as chairwoman of the taxation committee — positions she was appointed to but removed from before the session started — the hard-charging fiscal conservative embarrassed fellow GOP legislators but kept on moving. Her home health company, Always There Personal Care, had a history that included $700,000 in liens.

Fiore was a high-profile supporter of Bunkerville cattle rancher Cliven Bundy. Bundy’s protracted dispute over grazing rights against the Bureau of Land Management was defined by an armed standoff with government agents in 2014 that exposed far-right anger over federal authority in the West. Fiore was a familiar face during the criminal proceedings against Bundy and his family members in a trial that would be dismissed with prejudice in 2018 after a ruling of government evidentiary misconduct.

By then she had landed a seat on the Las Vegas City Council, where she served with confidence and controversy. From tussling with former council ally Victoria Seaman to her suspicious effort to renovate a hay barn at Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, and the use of her Future for Nevadans PAC funds to pay her daughter’s events planning company, she was an ethics disaster waiting to happen.

During Fiore’s 13 months as mayor pro tem, in 2020 she managed to embarrass the council and community with racially charged comments. At one point, Councilman Cedric Crear wrote a letter to Mayor Carolyn Goodman demanding Fiore’s removal from the pro tem role, which enables a councilmember to lead meetings in the mayor’s absence. Fiore denied being a bigot, instead accusing Crear of defaming her, and attempted to write off the matter to her “Brooklyn girl” upbringing.

After exiting the city council under a cloud, she announced a gubernatorial bid in 2022. The short-circuited campaign was defined by an audacious television commercial featuring a pistol-packing Fiore.

When that fizzled, she regrouped and made a run for state treasurer despite her history of tax liens. Despite being hounded by former constituents for making a chummy zoning approval on her way out of city hall, in November 2022 she used her undeniable energy and super Trumper credentials to run a competitive race against Democrat Zach Conine, losing by fewer than 20,000 votes.

When statewide politics failed, she retreated to Nye County’s open arms, pushing for a seat on the county commission before being appointed to the Pahrump justice of the peace spot despite a lack of academic and legal credentials.

With such a history — and this is the abbreviated version — you might wonder what would make anyone want to trust her with their charitable donations. But authorities say tens of thousands of dollars intended to honor brave police officers went to Fiore, her friends and family. The case is being prosecuted by seasoned trial attorneys Dahoud Askar and Alexander Gottfried of the criminal division’s Public Integrity Section.

Not surprisingly, Fiore doesn’t list her litany of controversies on her LinkedIn page, where she enthuses, “As I continue to serve my constituents with unyielding integrity and dedication, I eagerly embrace opportunities for growth and learning in the legal field. My commitment to effecting positive change and making a difference remains the driving force in my journey. With an enthusiastic outlook, I am eager to confront future challenges, armed with the same determination that has guided me throughout my life.”

The accusations she faces don’t exactly comport that shining self-image. As prosecutors will remind you, an indictment is merely an allegation.

But after all these years, would anything surprise you where Michele Fiore is concerned?

John L. Smith is an author and longtime columnist. He was born in Henderson and his family’s Nevada roots go back to 1881. His stories have appeared in Time, Readers Digest, The Daily Beast, Reuters, Ruralite and Desert Companion, among others. He also offers weekly commentary on Nevada Public Radio station KNPR.