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Judge in ‘Lady Trump’ case cancels defense witness statements

Vaseline October 4, 2024

Michelle Fiore in 2013 as Nevada State Representative.

FILE – In a Monday, June 3, 2013 file photo, Nevada Rep. Michelle Fiore, R-Las Vegas, works in committee during the final day of the 77th Legislative Session at the Legislative Building in Carson City, Nevada. Fiore spoke Wednesday, February 10, 2016, to some of the four residents of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison, File).

Surprise testimony in a federal fraud trial was expunged from the record this week after the judge overseeing the case was apparently blindsided by the existence of an undisclosed immunity deal.

In the case, Michele Fiore, 53, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state representative, former Republican Party gubernatorial candidate and suspended Pahrump Justice Court judge, is charged with four counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit fraud. wire fraud, according to a 12-page federal indictment filed in late July.

On Tuesday, Fiore’s daughter, Sheena Siegel, testified for the defense in a way that prosecutors said may have opened her up to criminal liability — prompting U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Dorsey to briefly suspend proceedings so the witness could meet her own attorneys. to get.

The episode led to layers of Russian nesting doll-style secrets and mistakes. On Wednesday, Siegel’s testimony was completely retracted.

The case centers on allegations that Fiore, while still an elected official in Sin City, promoted a memorial fund for a slain police officer and then pocketed at least some of the proceeds.

Prosecutors, in a superseding indictment filed in late August, refer to the defendant’s daughter as an unindicted “co-conspirator” who “received some of the fraudulent proceeds and served as a conduit to conceal the means and methods of Fiore’s fraud by receiving payment. from entities controlled by Fiore and dedicating those proceeds to the conspirators.”

During her testimony, Siegel reportedly said she signed a check from a PAC to her own personal account, according to a courtroom report from Las Vegas-based CBS affiliate KLAS.

That’s when the government stepped in with their warning – followed by Dorsey’s suggestion that the witness seek counsel.

Back on the stand, Siegel repeatedly argued for the Fifth Amendment, effectively hampering the state’s ability to cross-examine her.

The judge then learned that prosecutors had given Siegel a limited form of immunity from testifying — which was allegedly violated by the testimony about the money transfer, KLAS reported.

Later, Fiore’s own attorney, Michael Sanft, said he was aware of the immunity deal — meaning the judge in charge of the case was the only major participant left in the dark about the deal.

When she returned to the stand on Wednesday, Siegel again consistently invoked her constitutional right to remain silent. When the defense returned, the witness was again tight-lipped.

Anticipating this state of affairs, the government late Tuesday filed a motion to suppress Siegel’s testimony, arguing that they had no way to challenge one of the defense’s main narratives about the case.

“Here, Siegel’s testimony is not reliable without meaningful cross-examination, and leaving her testimony unaddressed would leave the jury with only half-truths to consider,” the government’s motion reads. “Because Siegel indicated that she would rely on any question asked during cross-examination, the government could not meaningfully cross-examine Siegel on critical factual issues.”

The prosecution also complained that under the circumstances they could not attempt to impeach Siegel’s testimony and contradict her.

On Wednesday, after Fiore’s daughter maintained her silence, Dorsey ruled in favor of the state, according to KLAS. The judge said it would be unfair to prosecutors if she allowed Siegel’s “philanthropic story” about her mother’s charity to influence the jury.

On June 18, 2014, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Alyn Beck was killed in the line of duty along with his partner, Officer Igor Soldo. Then, Fiore, a city council member, asked for donations to honor Beck with a statue — reportedly promising those who donated that “100 percent of all contributions will be used for this charitable event.”

Although the statue is indeed in a flowerbed at the entrance to Officer Alyn Beck Memorial Park in Las Vegas, the government says the monument was erected without Fiore’s financial help.

In short, prosecutors allege Fiore spent more than $70,000 to pay for the statue “for her own personal benefit.” The alleged illicit benefits included the rent of her home and her daughter’s wedding.

However, Siegel disputed these claims in her now forfeited testimony. Instead, she and Sanft reviewed a series of images that purported to show that Fiore had in fact been charitable with the money — allegedly spending some of the memorial funds on things like toys for needy children and constituency services.

Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday.

Fiore has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

During her failed bid to become governor in 2021, Fiore’s campaign positively referenced a Politico story that described her as a “lady Trump.”

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Judge in ‘Lady Trump’ case cancels defense witness statements

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Judge in ‘Lady Trump’ case cancels defense witness statements

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