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Controversial Vegas councilor Michele Fiore selected for justice of peace seat

Michele Fiore has been selected to fill the vacant Pahrump Justice of the Peace seat for Department B.

Nye County commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday evening for her appointment, which expires in January 2025.

She fills the vacancy following the August death of Justice of the Peace Kent Jasperson, who had served since 2007.

She was chosen out of 18 applicants after Commissioner Leo Blundo and former Inyo County Sheriff William Lutze withdrew prior to the meeting.

Outgoing Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly was also a candidate for the position.

Fiore was most recently a Las Vegas City councilwoman and the Republican nominee for state treasurer.

She is also a former state assemblywoman.

In Nevada counties with populations under 100,000, a justice of the peace does not need to be an attorney. The only qualification in counties with smaller populations is that justices of the peace have a high school degree or the equivalent.

Applicants for the seat must be a qualified elector and resident of Pahrump.

Nye County Clerk Mark Kampf confirmed earlier this year that Fiore is registered to vote in Nye County.

Fiore is a fervent supporter of former President Donald Trump and was involved in multiple scandals throughout her tenure on the Vegas council.

Her home was raided by the FBI last year as part of a campaign finance violation investigation, although she has said the claims were “made up” and that she cooperated with investigators. A 2019 Review-Journal investigation found that Fiore had a history of unreported taxes and business problems. She has denied wrongdoing.

This is a developing story.

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