Attorney General Gentner Drummond is leading a coalition of 14 attorneys general in demanding information from Fire Aid related to $100 million that was raised for victims of wildfires earlier this year in Los Angeles County.
Fire Aid, based in Inglewood, Calif., coordinated a celebrity-packed benefit concert on Jan. 30, which streamed across 28 platforms and offered a convenient way for 50 million viewers to contribute to victims of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. The telecast told the viewers that the money raised would “go directly to the people who need it now.” However, numerous reports have raised concerns that fire victims have not received any assistance from Fire Aid or the frontline nonprofits and organizations it partnered with to distribute direct aid.
“In Oklahoma and across the nation we witnessed the devastation inflicted on Los Angeles County by these massive wildfires,” Drummond said. “Oklahomans are always quick to offer help. It’s no surprise that many donated to Fire Aid to provide direct relief to victims, but now we are seeing questions about whether these donations are being used as intended. As Attorney General, I will always work to protect Oklahomans and ensure that their donations are appropriately expended.”
Drummond and the coalition outlined several demands in a letter to Fire Aid President Gillian Zucker this week. Within 10 business days, Fire Aid is asked to provide the number of donors and total amount of their donations for each state represented in the letter, a full explanation of its relationship with the Annenberg Foundation, copies of template grants or other agreements the organization executed or will execute with recipient organizations, descriptions of measures the organization has implemented or will implement to ensure funds directly benefit fire victims and several other items.
In addition to Oklahoma, states joining the letter include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
Read the letter.
