LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada's governor took the stand Monday morning in the ongoing federal fraud trial of former Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore.
Court documents previously obtained by Channel 13 listed Gov. Joe Lombardo among the donors Fiore is accused of defrauding in her campaign to collect funds for a memorial statue honoring fallen Officer Alyn Beck.
At the time prosecutors say Lombardo gave money to Fiore for the statue, he was still Clark County sheriff.
A $5000 check is shown in court dated July 15, 2019 from Lombardo for Sheriff to Future for Nevadans, Fiore’s PAC.
— Jaewon Jung (@jaewonnews) September 30, 2024
The memo line says Alyn Beck Statue.@KTNV
Testifying in federal court on Monday, Lombardo said he's known Fiore for about a decade and has donated to her political campaigns on and off throughout that time.
Jurors were shown a $5,000 check from Lombardo for Sheriff to Future for Nevadans, Fiore's political action committee. The check was dated July 15, 2019 and has "Alyn Beck Statue" in the memo line.
Michael Sanft, Fiore's defense attorney, pointed out that the money given to Fiore's PAC was not from Lombardo's personal funds, but came from donors to his political campaigns.
Lombardo claims he's a victim and said he didn't understand the line of questioning from Sanft.
Watch: Channel 13 chief investigator Darcy Spears breaks down the federal charges against Michele Fiore:
Next witness was Peter Palivoz, an attorney and real estate investor.
He said him and his wife average $500,000 a year in donations.
He testified donating $2,500 to a Bright Present Foundations, Fiore's charity, on January of 2020.
Executive Vice President of Olympia Companies Chris Armstrong also testified. He said there were early discussions about splitting the payment for the statue with the city and Fiore.
But Armstrong said ultimately, Olympia paid for the entirety of the statue.
The government's last witness was FBI forensic accountant Sandra Harris.
Harris walked through a financial analysis done on all of Fiore's and her daughter Sheena Siegel's bank accounts.
The defense called its first few witnesses on Monday afternoon.
This includes FBI special agent Kyle Jaski who said he conducted all donor interviews and reviewed all financial records for A Bright Present Foundation.
Second witness was Siegel, who is currently a special education teacher within the Clark County School District.
Siegel testified filling out all the paperwork for A Bright Present Foundation and said she created a binder, which was shown in court, documenting all the financial transactions of the entity.
She said the nonprofit didn't just exist for the statue but also for other needs in the community.
She also testified doing work for Fiore's campaign and PAC.
Siegel told jurors she often cashed out because it was easier and she didn't always have her debit card with her.
Prosecutors allege Fiore didn't use the funds she raised for a statue honoring Beck and instead funneled them into personal expenses like rent, plastic surgery, and her daughter's wedding.
She's accused of misusing approximately $70,000 in this manner. Fiore denies all wrongdoing and claims she's been a target of the federal government ever since she supported rancher Cliven Bundy in his standoff over grazing rights on public land.
Court resumes on Tuesday, and the defense is expected to begin presenting its case.
Find more of Channel 13's continuing coverage of this case here:
