Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

State Government:

Fiore: Tax problems stem from ex-husband, theft by rogue employee

A Day With Michele Fiore

Las Vegas Sun

Michelle Fiore meets with Brian and Valerie Wilson on Thursday, May 8, 2014.

Assembly Majority Leader designate Michele Fiore said today that her problems with the Internal Revenue Service stemmed from actions by her former accountant, who was her husband at the time, and an employee who stole from her.

Discussing her tax issues on Alan Stock's conservative talk radio show, Fiore said she was now in full compliance with the IRS after being hit with more than $1 million in tax liens dating to 2003. She said the older liens have been resolved, and the remaining amount she owes is between $90,000 and $96,000 not including penalties and other fees that will be imposed by the IRS.

Fiore, who has operated two home health care businesses, did not identify the employee she accused of stealing from her and said the alleged crime has not been prosecuted. However, she implied that legal action will be taken, saying "there will be consequences" from the theft.

As for the accountant, she identified him as her ex-husband but did not elaborate on how he contributed to her tax troubles. Asked about her own role in the problem, Fiore said she was too trusting of her employees.

But after it was brought to her attention that accounting and bookkeeping mistakes had been made, she said, she worked with the IRS to establish a payment plan. She said she also fired staff members, including her own children, and established checks and balances in her business.

In her appearance on Stock's show, Fiore broke nearly two weeks of silence on her tax matters. Fiore, who is slated to be chairwoman of the Assembly taxation committee, declined interview requests from Las Vegas' major news outlets about the 45 impending tax liens that date to 2003.

Fiore is among the loudest tax critics in the Assembly and is heading into her second term with clout: She is the No. 2 Assembly leader, and leading the the influential taxation committee adds to her sway.

She signed a no new tax pledge in 2013 and voted against continuing a controversial $650 million sunset tax package. The Nevada Policy Research Institute, a right-leaning think tank that will advise Fiore and Assembly Republican leadership in the upcoming session, distinguished her as the most conservative lawmaker in that session.

Those conservative bona fides are what helped launch her to the top ranks of the Nevada GOP this year. But they’ve also forced her into the spotlight.

Last week, it was reported that Fiore lost her spot as the chairwoman of the taxation committee. The Republican Assembly Caucus didn’t release an official statement. But Fiore pre-empted an official announcement by saying there was a “war on women” in the caucus. Those comments followed the Assembly Republican Caucus’ Dec. 2 decision to elect her as the first Republican woman to the majority leader position.

On Thursday, Assembly Speaker designate John Hambrick said Fiore was still the chairwoman of the taxation committee.

Fiore told Stock's audience that she didn't know the reason for the flap, which she called "12 hours of friction." Although she downplayed her earlier "war on women" announcement, she suggested she was under attack because of her conservative politics and no-tax stance.

"I think with me chairing taxation, people are getting a little nervous," she said, adding that there were "powerful lobbyists meddling and interfering with (Assembly GOP) caucus business."

"There is a war on conservatives," she said. "Unfortunately, there is a small select few in our caucus that prefer men to lead rather than women."

Fiore’s tax problems were coupled with other news of dysfunction within the Assembly GOP last week.

A leaked email from Fiore to members of her caucus warned of a movement by a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to oust Hambrick. Democrats last week denied they were targeting Hambrick.

The drama was the latest chapter in what’s been a whirlwind post-election season for Assembly Republicans.

Shortly after the GOP’s sweeping election day victory, the first Assembly member elected to the speaker spot, Ira Hansen, came under fire for insensitive columns he wrote in the Sparks Tribune. The backlash led to Hansen’s departure from the speaker slot.

During Hansen’s brief tenure at the top, the majority leader was Las Vegas Assemblyman Paul Anderson.

Once Hansen stepped down, the Republican Assembly caucus chose Hambrick and Fiore as the respective speaker and majority leader.

This is an updated version of a story that appeared earlier at www.lasvegassun.com. That story can be seen here.

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