Republican Michelle Fiore, who is running for Silver State treasurer in November, accused incumbent Zach Connie of running a “questionable” private business “out of the same office where Nevadans’ public funds are managed.”
“I look forward to seeing Connen, as his political opponent and the people of Nevada, right this wrong by providing an explanation for this questionable and illegal behavior,” Fiore said in a statement released Friday morning.
The business in question? Nevada Capital Investment Corporation – a state entity under the treasurer’s office, where Cone is required by state law to serve as treasurer, chairman of the state entity’s seven-member board of directors.
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If Fiore defeats Coney in the November midterm elections, she would be required by law to serve on the same board.
NCIC is an equity fund that uses non-taxpayer dollars from the state’s Permanent School Fund to invest in Nevada education and businesses. It was established a decade ago after the Nevada Legislature passed Senate Bill 75 in June 2011, signed by then-Gov. Brian Sandoval.
Fiore’s campaign did not immediately respond Friday to requests from the Reno Gazette-Journal for additional information about NCIC’s role in the treasurer’s office.
Konin responds
In a statement to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Cooney’s campaign called Fioren’s accusations “laughable.”
The statement continued, “Michelle Fiore is the most grossly unqualified major party candidate for constitutional office in Nevada history,” and her failure to even understand the job Nevadans are asking her to do underscores that sad truth.
Fiore’s charges, which were made public by her campaign, stem from a report of election integrity violations against Conine that was filed with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office earlier this week.
Filed by a private citizen, the report accuses Cohn of failing to report NCIC as one of his businesses on his 2020 annual candidate financial disclosure form. complaint)
The complaint comes after Cooney’s campaign filed a similar complaint against Fiore in July 2020 for failing to report a business deal she started with former Las Vegas Councilman Ricky Barlow, who later resigned and pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds.
Their business dealings have not been publicly disclosed, and Fiore’s campaign said “I am not benefiting from this in any way.”
But the complaint is the latest financial scandal in Fiore’s decade-long political career in Nevada, with IRS cases and a recent FBI investigation into campaign finance.
Fiore’s finances prompted an FBI investigation.
In the year In late 2014, Fiore, then the House Majority Leader and Chairman of the Tax Committee, found herself under scrutiny after news reports surfaced that the IRS had filed more than $1 million in tax liens against her and her home health care business. Some of these holdings date back to 2003.
However, records show that since 2012, the year Fiore was elected to the Nevada Assembly, she has never listed the IRS as a creditor on her financial statements.
Under state law, a candidate or elected official is required to list debts of $5,000 or more on financial statement forms, excluding mortgages or personal car loans.
More:Fiore’s career has been characterized by IRS cases, FBI investigations. She still wants to be Nevada’s treasurer.
Fiore, now a Las Vegas councilwoman, has come under fire again after initially opening an investigation into her campaign finances. Las Vegas Review-Journal.
As part of that investigation, the FBI raided Fiore’s northwest Las Vegas home in January 2021. In the months that followed, the FBI also subpoenaed Fiore for documents related to her campaign and political action committee, Future for Nevadans. Last July at Las Vegas City Hall.
Nevada voters will choose the next treasurer in the Nov. 8 general election.
Rio Lacanalle is a Las Vegas reporter for the Reno Gazette-Journal and USA TODAY Network. Contact her at rlacanlale@gannett.com or on Twitter. @riolacanlale. Support local journalism by subscribing to RGJ today.
