She's Nevada's outspoken, gun-toting politician but now, there are questions about how Assemblywoman Michele Fiore spent campaign funds.
Fiore used her Assembly campaign account for a high-profile trip to Oregon in the middle of the standoff. Publicly available expense reports show that Fiore used more than $2,000 to fund it.
#NV03 candidate @VoteFiore evidently used her Assembly campaign account for flight to OR during refuge standoff 1/ pic.twitter.com/g0x4cyrZ9B
— Riley Snyder (@RileySnyder) May 24, 2016
"The FBI had shut down that whole area of that refuge so there would literally be no communication," said Fiore.
The congressional candidate turned into a crisis negotiator in February. Fiore was on the phone with the final four occupiers in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
"We don't need our weapons right now, they cannot fire on you with the world watching," she said during a recorded telephone conversation.
NV's gun-toting outspoken politician. We sat down w/ @VoteFiore to ask how she paid for trip to Oregon. @KTNV at 6 pic.twitter.com/uaVElhTyfs
— Mahsa Saeidi (@MahsaKTNV) May 26, 2016
Hard to tell if NV campaign law was violated - NRS prohibits "personal use" but doesn't define it https://t.co/yuVrm9saO0 /3
— Riley Snyder (@RileySnyder) May 24, 2016
Nevada law states "it is unlawful ... to spend money received as a contribution for the candidate's personal use."
Fiore said one of the occupiers was from Nevada and the money spent does not constitute personal use. Her concern was to ensure the four men would surrender peacefully.
"They lived...they lived," she said.
AG's office in 2002 issued advisory opinion but notes courts/ #nvleg have never strictly defined what it covers https://t.co/yuVrm9saO0 /4
— Riley Snyder (@RileySnyder) May 24, 2016
Fiore said she also personally paid about $7,000 to fund the trips.
HEAR MORE FROM FIORE IN THE INTERVIEWS BELOW.
