A January benefit concert called FireAid, organized in response to the devastating wildfires that swept through the Los Angeles area earlier this year, raised approximately $100 million — but victims of the fires say they haven’t received any of the money.
The celebrity-backed fundraiser, promoted by Democrat officials and Hollywood figures, was intended to provide direct relief to residents impacted by the wildfires.
However, six months later, there is growing scrutiny over how the funds were managed and why none of the affected individuals have received financial assistance.
🚨 Fire victims lost everything, but not a single dollar from the $100 MILLION raised ever reached them.
— California Republican Party (@CAGOP) July 21, 2025
California Democrats funneled it to nonprofits instead.
This is what corruption looks like. Thank you @FOXLA, @MarlaTellez, and Sue Pascoe for exposing it. pic.twitter.com/FbYTzjdq8I
Independent investigative journalist Sue Pascoe of Circling the News began digging into the distribution of the funds and discovered that the proceeds were managed by the Annenberg Foundation, a philanthropic organization based on the East Coast.
According to Pascoe’s investigation, the funds were not given directly to victims but instead funneled into a number of nonprofit organizations — many of which have no direct involvement with wildfire recovery efforts.
Pascoe reached out to the Annenberg Foundation by email, asking, “How much of the funds were spent specifically for the Palisades and which nonprofits in that community are receiving money?”
She received no response and was unable to reach anyone by phone through several of the foundation’s extensions.