FireAid‘s organizers stated Tuesday that they’ve tasked the live performance’s legislation agency, Latham & Watkins, to evaluation the group’s grant course of because the charitable live performance faces scrutiny from President Donald Trump and a congressman in California over how the $100 million the present had raised has been doled out to date.
Trump blasted FireAid over the weekend, taking to Fact Social to name the profit present “a complete catastrophe” and “one other democrat impressed rip-off,” claiming that the $100 million the live performance had raised is lacking. Trump’s jabs at FireAid got here earlier than he as soon as once more attacked California Governor Gavin Newsom (calling him Newscum), alleging that the governor mismanaged fireplace response. In the meantime, Kevin Kiley, a Republican congressman for California’s third district, had referred to as for the Division of Justice to analyze how FireAid disbursed its donations, claiming “not one of the $100 million donated went on to L.A. victims, and nonprofits having nothing to do with fireplace aid obtained grants.”
FireAid issued an announcement on Saturday on social media, posting that “there was an growing quantity of misinformation being shared on-line concerning the distribution of FireAid funds,” additional specifying that FireAid had already dispersed $75 million to 160 organizations, together with meals banks, nonprofits, faculties and different native organizations. The remaining $25 million shall be dispersed by the tip of the 12 months, FireAid stated.
The scrutiny towards FireAid comes about six months after the live performance was held on the Kia Discussion board and Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on the finish of January. The live performance was organized by music trade titan Irving Azoff, alongside Stay Nation and L.A. Clippers proprietor Steve Ballmer, amongst others, whereas the Annenberg Basis had been tasked with managing the funds the live performance raised. FireAid was probably the most star-studded occasions in latest reminiscence, bringing on the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Pink, Katy Perry, Billie Eilish and Inexperienced Day, amongst many others.
In a letter Latham & Watkins had despatched to Kiley on behalf of FireAid on Tuesday, the agency had denied Kiley’s allegations of giving cash to improper organizations for fireplace aid, claiming that “the organizations which have obtained funds are each worthy and have shut relationships to the restoration efforts in response to the Fires.”
The agency additionally denied that FireAid’s raised funds had been diverted away from victims, stating that FireAid “disbursed grants to non-profits and organizations that are in a position to present direct aid, throughout a broad spectrum of providers, to survivors of the Fires and their communities.”
Latham & Watkins stated within the letter to Kiley that the organizations that obtained FireAid grants are
“required to report on fund utilization” so FireAid can confirm the cash is getting used correctly. The legislation agency, which has labored with FireAid because the occasion was first being organized, stated it might
conduct “a complete evaluation of FireAid’s governance and grantmaking processes,” which Latham & Watkins stated would “embody assessing whether or not recipient organizations are utilizing funds in alignment with FireAid’s acknowledged goal and commitments.”