JUNE 11 UPDATE: Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Michele Fiore is firing back after days of rebuke from the leader of the Clark County Republican Party and a recent call for her to lose her title within the city council.
"I've never been politically correct, nor do I intend to start now," said Fiore, during a news conference in front of her northwest Las Vegas home.
On Saturday, the Clark County GOP Chairman says Fiore made public statements at their convention that were "racially charged, clearly inappropriate, insensitive and inaccurate.
"I asked her to retract it and apologize and she refused to do it saying that she doesn't apologize," said Clark County GOP Chairman David Sajdak in an interview with 13 Action News.
Fiore later tweeted calling the GOP chairman a "pandering idiot," and added her staff was installing a swear jar to keep in her office at city hall.
As of Thursday evening, no video or audio recording of her statements made at the Clark County Republican Party Convention had been made public.
Reporters pressed Fiore about what exactly she said at the convention that was considered offensive and she fired off at reporters while holding her cell phone to record the interaction.
"Because I am so politically incorrect as soon as a microphone is in my face, this happens," said Fiore, as she held her cell phone in front of reporters.
"So 150 people were at the convention on Saturday, this happened. Ask for the [the video] because I'm sure OK with releasing it," added Fiore.
On Thursday, Las Vegas Councilman Cedric Crear, who represents Ward 5 and historic West Las Vegas, wrote a letter to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman asking that Fiore be removed as mayor pro tem.
JUNE 11 UPDATE: Las Vegas Councilwoman Michele Fiore apologized Thursday for offending anyone when she reportedly made “racially charged” comments from over the weekend. Fiore also said she has not been politically correct and doesn't plan to start.
Fiore says if her words offended, she apologizes.
Said she considered @CouncilmanCrear a friend. She said his earlier tweet/letter was based on rumor and hearsay. She said it was sad. @KTNV pic.twitter.com/TyHjcReQp4— Joe Bartels (@Joe_Bartels) June 11, 2020
Councilwoman Fiore said during Thursday's press conference she "does not have a racist bone in her body" and that previous comments were taken out of context.
Fiore's entire press conference can be viewed below:
JUNE 11 UPDATE: Las Vegas Councilman Cedric Crear is calling for councilwoman and Mayor Pro Tem Michele Fiore to be removed.
Crear tweeted the letter that he has sent to Mayor Carolyn Goodman. In the letter, he wrote “There is no place within Las Vegas City Hall, or anywhere in our great country, for this type of divisiveness, especially from a person in a leadership position.”
Mayor Goodman also posted a response on Twitter. The mayor says that she is taking the matter seriously. She also said that every member of the city council is important to her.
Fiore has come under fire this week for "racially charged" comments that she reportedly made at the Clark County Republican Party Convention o Saturday.
Fiore has announced that she will hold a press conference today at 4 p.m. Fiore demanded yesterday that a video of the comments be provided as proof of any wrongdoing.
ORIGINAL STORY
Las Vegas Mayor Pro Tem Michele Fiore says her First Amendment rights are under attack in a strongly worded response to the Clark County Republican Party.
The party sent out a press release on Monday rebuking what it describes as "racially charged comments" that Fiore allegedly made during its June 6 convention. CCRP did not go into further detail or specify what she said, but the party called on Fiore to apologize.
In a tweet response on Wednesday, Fiore wrote in part, "My 1st amendment rights are under attack. SHOW THE VIDEO OF THE UNCUT VERSION OF MY SPEECH!"
She went on to say, "I am truly sorry that we have a pandering idiot as the chairman of the Clark County Republican Party (CCRP)."
She said that she now has a swear jar in her office and wrote, "if anyone in the CCRP is offended by the word 'ass' of my New York Style, my apologies."
Read the full statement in the tweet below:
