FireAid has retained major law firm Latham & Watkins to review its grantmaking process amid a growing furor about the distribution of $100 million raised during the all-star benefit concerts for Los Angeles wildfire relief in January.
An online maelstrom about FireAid has been fueled by Republican congressman Kevin Kiley, who sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week claiming donations were diverted to nonprofits with only “tenuous” connections to fire relief. President Donald Trump weighed in over the weekend, calling the concert series a “Democrat-inspired scam” and saying “$100 million is missing.
FireAid has called these claims “misinformation,” maintaining that the money raised from two concerts at L.A.’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum went to nonprofits who provided direct relief to victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
In a letter to Kiley on Monday (July 28), FireAid says again that all the nonprofits it’s distributing the $100 million to “are both worthy and have close relationships to the recovery efforts in response to the fires.” The organization also notes that it has “maintained transparency” throughout the process, documenting all grants on its website.
Nonetheless, the organization says it has retained the white-shoe law firm Latham & Watkins to “conduct a comprehensive review of FireAid’s governance and grantmaking processes” and “ensure FireAid remains true to its original mission of directly supporting fire survivors.”
“This review will also include assessing whether recipient organizations are using funds in alignment with FireAid’s stated purpose and commitments,” reads Monday’s letter to Kiley. “We look forward to sharing the results of our ongoing review with you in the near future and updating you at your convenience.”
Read more
https://www.billboard.com/pro/fireaid-lawyers-review-concert-funds-distribution/
