FireAid has retained main regulation agency Latham & Watkins to overview its grantmaking course of amid a rising furor concerning the distribution of $100 million raised through the all-star profit concert events for Los Angeles wildfire reduction in January.
A web-based maelstrom about FireAid has been fueled by Republican congressman Kevin Kiley, who despatched a letter to the Division of Justice (DOJ) final week claiming donations have been diverted to nonprofits with solely “tenuous” connections to fireside reduction. President Donald Trump weighed in over the weekend, calling the live performance sequence a “Democrat-inspired rip-off” and saying “$100 million is lacking.”
Associated
FireAid has referred to as these claims “misinformation,” sustaining that the cash raised from two concert events at L.A.’s Intuit Dome and Kia Discussion board went to nonprofits who supplied direct reduction to victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
In a letter to Kiley on Monday (July 28), FireAid says once more that each one the nonprofits it’s distributing the $100 million to “are each worthy and have shut relationships to the restoration efforts in response to the fires.” The group additionally notes that it has “maintained transparency” all through the method, documenting all grants on its web site.
Nonetheless, the group says it has retained the white-show regulation agency Latham & Watkins to “conduct a complete overview of FireAid’s governance and grantmaking processes” and “guarantee FireAid stays true to its unique mission of instantly supporting fireplace survivors.”
“This overview may even embody assessing whether or not recipient organizations are utilizing funds in alignment with FireAid’s said objective and commitments,” reads Monday’s letter to Kiley. “We stay up for sharing the outcomes of our ongoing overview with you within the close to future and updating you at your comfort.”
Associated
FireAid’s letter is signed by Makan Delrahim, an L.A.-based Latham & Watkins associate who beforehand served as head of the DOJ’s antitrust division. Delrahim now advises personal shoppers on mergers and acquisitions, authorities investigations and disaster administration.
The twin FireAid concert events featured a star-studded listing of performers together with Inexperienced Day, Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Girl Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Stevie Surprise, Lil Child, Tate McRae, Sting, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, a Nirvana reunion, Joni Mitchell, a reunited No Doubt, P!nk and the Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers.
The exhibits have been livestreamed, drawing in additional than 50 million viewers, and raised $100 million from ticket and merchandise gross sales, sponsorships, donations from the private and non-private presents.
FireAid distributed $50 million of the funds in February to greater than 120 nonprofits targeted on offering fireplace survivors with meals help, emergency housing, psychological well being providers, childcare and extra.
A second spherical of grants got here in June, with the group allocating $25 million to causes together with environmental restoration, remediation and soil testing. The final $25 million tranche is on monitor to be distributed by the top of the yr.