FireAid Investigation: Law Firm Finds No Misconduct Tied to $100M Benefit Concerts

A caller study from elite instrumentality steadfast Latham & Watkins says FireAid has made bully usage of the $100 cardinal raised during a brace of all-star payment concerts pursuing the devastating Los Angeles wildfires successful January.

FireAid tapped Latham to behaviour an autarkic interior reappraisal of its grantmaking process successful July, erstwhile online skeptics, led by Republican congressman Kevin Kiley, were publicly questioning whether the wealth really went to victims of the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

The answer, according to Latham’s report released connected Monday (Sept. 8), is an unequivocal “yes.” After interviewing FireAid committee members and reviewing gathering minutes, ligament transfers and emails, the instrumentality steadfast concluded that determination has been nary misconduct successful the organisation of $100 million raised during the 2 concurrent shows astatine L.A.’s Intuit Dome and Kia Forum.

“Based connected the probe conducted to date, we person not identified grounds of immoderate misrepresentations successful the solicitation of charitable funds, improper enactment of grantees, improper organisation of funds, improper usage oregon misappropriation of funds, fraudulent intent, oregon deviation from FireAid’s stated mission,” wrote Latham successful the report.

Many of FireAid’s online critics person claimed the enactment gave the mendacious content that these funds would beryllium issued arsenic nonstop payments to occurrence victims. But Latham says successful the study that FireAid “made wide from its inception” that wealth would beryllium distributed not straight to individuals, but to spouse organizations that were providing occurrence relief.

Critics connected the net person besides suggested that immoderate of the FireAid recipient organizations are not really progressive successful wildfire recovery. Latham’s study said this excessively is false; the steadfast reviewed advancement reports from FireAid grantees and said the $75 cardinal distributed truthful acold has been spent connected food, housing, aesculapian attraction and different cardinal expenses for occurrence victims.

“Latham has not identified immoderate grounds that funds were fixed to organizations that were not providing applicable assistance nor that funds were being utilized improperly,” the study reads.

In a property merchandise announcing the Latham study connected Monday, FireAid said the firm’s probe “affirms that FireAid’s grantmaking was transparent, mission-aligned and impactful for fire-affected communities crossed Los Angeles.”

“It is important the survivors and our LA assemblage person existent penetration into however FireAid funds are supporting recovery,” the merchandise added. “We stay committed to helping communities affected by the Eaton and Palisade Fires rebuild and recover, and providing transparent documentation of advancement and impact.”

The FireAid concerts were held connected Jan. 30 with a star-studded line-up that included Green Day, Billie Eilish, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Peso Pluma, Stevie Wonder, Lil Baby, Tate McRae, Sting, Alanis Morissette, John Mayer, a Nirvana reunion, Joni Mitchell, a reunited No Doubt, P!nk and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

The shows were livestreamed, drafting successful much than 50 cardinal viewers, and raised $100 cardinal from summons and merchandise sales, sponsorships, donations from the nationalist and backstage gifts.

FireAid distributed the archetypal $50 cardinal of these funds successful February and followed up with a 2nd circular of grants totaling $25 cardinal successful June. The past $25 cardinal tranche is acceptable to beryllium distributed by the extremity of 2025.

According to the report, FireAid has been utilizing a “comprehensive, multi-level grantmaking and valuation process” to determine wherever funds go. The archetypal measurement successful this process is tally by staffers from the Annenberg Foundation, who behaviour owed diligence and urge a slate of money recipients to FireAid’s assistance advisory committee.

The assistance advisory committee, comprised of philanthropy professionals, further evaluates each foundation and its governance earlier moving a slate of recommendations guardant to the FireAid board. The committee — whose members see L.A. existent property developer Rick Caruso and euphony manufacture titan Shelli Azoff — does a ...