Treasurer Zach Conine’s campaign files complaint against Michele Fiore

Nevada Treasurer Zach Conine’s re-election campaign filed a complaint Sept. 12 with the secretary of state’s office against his Republican opponent, Michele Fiore, for allegedly failing to disclose a business she had started with a former Las Vegas councilman who pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

In the complaint, attorney Bradley Schrager, legal counsel for Conine’s campaign, wrote that in July 2020, Fiore and former Councilman Ricki Barlow filed paperwork with the secretary of state’s office to form the business “Black & White Justice For ALL, LLC.” Fiore currently sits on the Las Vegas City Council.

Fiore and Barlow were listed as managers of the business when the paperwork was filed with the office, but Fiore did not include the business on her financial disclosure statements.

“There is no indication as to the purpose or nature of the business, and it appears the business venture was never publicly announced,” Schrager wrote.

State law requires public officers and candidates for public office to list all business entities on their annual financial disclosure statements, Schrager wrote. Fiore’s lack of adequate disclosure means that Nevada voters do not know what activities the business performed, whether it had any revenue and whether or not Fiore profited from it.

“This omission is unacceptable for a statewide candidate for constitutional office,” Schrager wrote.

Fiore co-founded the business in July 2020 with Barlow, who resigned from office and pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds in 2018. According to a previous Review-Journal report, Barlow now works as a lobbyist at City Hall.

Fiore’s Jan. 15, 2021 financial disclosure form listed two business entities, Truth in Politics and Politically Off the Wall, LLC. Her March 19, 2022 form showed no business entities. The status of Black & White Justice for ALL, LLC was listed as “revoked” in secretary of state records on Monday.

Fiore’s campaign said in a statement that the business never conducted any commercial activities and would have been dissolved but for a clerical error.

“Councilwoman Fiore never profited from it in any way and therefore is not required to be listed on her disclosure,” her campaign said in the statement. “This is a blatant attempt by Zach Conine to distract from his record of failure in the Treasurer’s office.”

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on Twitter.

Conine complaint in re: Michele Fiore by Steve Sebelius on Scribd