GOP rep urges DOJ to investigate if Fire Aid benefit funds went to LA fire victims

Fire Aid was a star-studded fundraising event benefitting the victims of the horrific Los Angeles County wildfires, which killed at least 31 people and burned roughly 40,500 acres. The event occurred in January and featured performers such as Billie Eilish, Green Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, John Mayer, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more.

Rep. Kiley, who represents California District 3, wrote in the letter: "Americans watched the devastation wrought by the January fires in Los Angeles with shock and sadness. Driven by faith, compassion, and a desire to do good, tens of thousands opened their hearts and their wallets to donate time and money to help the victims."

"There is no question the need was great; over 18,000 homes and structures were destroyed, rendering many more thousands homeless and tragically killing over 30 people," he continued. "To aid the recovery, the Annenberg Foundation organized FireAid, a major benefit concert featuring some of the biggest names in entertainment who generously donated their talent for the event."

Rep. Kiley noted that the benefit concert received "outpouring support," resulting in more than $100 million raised.

"The Annenberg Foundation promised in its solicitations that the funds would be used for 'direct relief' and that those funds would 'not be used for administrative purposes. But recently, independent reporting by Fox 11 in Los Angeles and Circling the News have uncovered that those donations were instead diverted to a number of nonprofits, many of which have a tenuous connection (at best) to fire relief and recovery," Kiley continued. "Some of the nonprofits don't even operate in the LA area. For example, 'After the Fire,' which is in Sonoma - well north of LA - describes its mission as 'coaching, convening and collaborating,' another grantee described its mission vaguely as 'multigenerational power building' and 'civic engagement.'"

"Whatever we might think of those mission statements, it diverges from the stated purpose of solicitation and is likely inconsistent with donor intent," said Kiley.

Fire Aid's website indicates that the first wave of $50 million in grants were allocated as groups focusing on the following: $3.6 million was allocated to nonprofits associated with children and families, $4.3 million to community hubs and conveners, $7.6 million to disaster relief, $3.9 million to food access and security, $4.8 million to health and housing, $3.3 million to musicians and artists, $2.3 million to public resources and benefits navigation, $6 million to continued relief for wildfire victims and communities, $3.8 million to students and schools, $1.1 million to supportive services to vulnerable populations, $3.1 million to symbols of hope, $5 million to community grants, and $6.7 million to frontline and displaced workers and small businesses.

The second round of grants, which totaled $25 million, allocated $17 million to nonprofit organizations that are involved in wildfire recovery, $700,000 to critical information for fire victims, $6 million to continued relief for wildfire victims and communities, $500,000 to symbols of hope, and $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.

"Americans' generosity should not be the second victim of this tragedy," Kiley wrote to AG Bondi. "I'm asking that the Department of Justice take urgent action to maintain and restore confidence that donor intent is respected and that the intended recipients of these funds are made whole. An investigation is needed to discover where these donations went and who benefited."