Judicial discipline panel rejects Gov. Lombardo's $5,000 check as evidence in Michele Fiore hearing

What happened

The Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline refused on Tuesday to accept a $5,000 check written by Gov. Joe Lombardo as evidence in its case against suspended Pahrump Justice of the Peace Michele Fiore, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The check was for a statue honoring Alyn Beck, a Metropolitan Police Department officer who was shot and killed in 2014.

The commission has charged Fiore with three conduct violations tied to the actions behind her 2024 guilty verdict on federal conspiracy and wire fraud charges. Six witnesses testified Tuesday, according to the Review-Journal, including two who said they gave thousands of dollars to the memorial effort. In separate Review-Journal coverage, Fiore denied using donations for personal expenses as she testified in the judicial discipline hearing.

Why the check was kept out

Special counsel Thomas Donaldson asked the commission to admit the check. Commissioners denied the request because Donaldson did not lay a foundation for it to be considered as evidence, the Review-Journal reported.

Lombardo did not appear

Lombardo's office said Monday that the governor was willing to take part in Tuesday's hearing but was told he was no longer needed. Lombardo testified in 2024 and was one of several high-profile donors to Fiore, according to federal prosecutors. In that testimony, he said his donation came from his campaign account rather than his personal money.

What Fiore's attorney said

Fiore's attorney, Paola Armeni, objected to the exhibit. "I think it would be very unfair to submit an exhibit that I can't even question the witness," she told commissioners, according to the Review-Journal. During a recess, Armeni said she had wanted to ask the governor about using campaign funds for charitable efforts, adding, "I wanted to talk to him, because what he did was not inappropriate."

What donors told the commission

Laborers Local 872

Tommy White, business manager-secretary treasurer for Laborers Local 872, called Fiore a friend. He testified that he sought restitution from her after the 2024 verdict because of his fiduciary duties to union members. White said he issued two $5,000 checks to Future for Nevadans, a political action committee operated by Fiore, one from Laborers and one from an affiliated labor-management trust.

White said the union understood the money was supporting a broader memorial effort tied to the park's grand opening, not necessarily a specific statue. He said the union would have wanted to know if funds were redirected and would not have approved personal spending. "You cannot use our money for personal items," White said, according to the Review-Journal.

A law firm's donation

Las Vegas attorney Jay Brown testified that his law firm gave $26,700 to the memorial effort and later received $16,700 back. He said he could not remember why the money was returned. Brown said he recalled hearing from Lombardo, then Clark County Sheriff, that Lombardo had already donated.

Background on the federal case

Federal prosecutors accused Fiore, a former Las Vegas councilwoman, of raising tens of thousands of dollars for a park and statue honoring Beck. A federal jury found her guilty in 2024, and President Donald Trump pardoned her in 2025, the Review-Journal reported. Fiore has tried to have the commission's charges dismissed, arguing that it improperly conflates the jury verdict with judicial misconduct based on actions that came before her time on the bench.

At the Sept. 30, 2024, hearing where Lombardo testified, an FBI agent said she traced his donation to a rent payment Fiore made the same day, according to the Review-Journal. A January 2025 motion from Fiore's legal team said Lombardo's testimony contradicted information he gave investigators in July 2024. Those July statements were redacted, so it is not clear how he allegedly contradicted himself. Fiore's former criminal attorney, Michael Sanft, told the Review-Journal he could not recall any issues with the testimony. More coverage of courts and accountability is on our public safety page.

What to watch next

• The commission was set to reconvene at 8 a.m. Wednesday to hear from one more witness.
• Closing arguments were also scheduled for Wednesday.
• The commission has yet to rule on the three conduct violations charged against Fiore.