Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) asked U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch a “urgent” investigation into how proceeds from January’s FireAid concert in Los Angeles have been distributed, alleging that promises of “direct relief” for wildfire victims were broken. FireAid has now responded with the full timeline and the grant amounts they’ve dispersed.
The event, which reportedly raised more than $100 million, was organized by Irving Azoff and his wife Shelli, in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment and the Annenberg foundation.
“Americans’ generosity should not be the second victim of this tragedy,” Kiley wrote in a July 23 letter to Bondi. “An investigation is needed to discover where these donations went and who benefited.”
Allegations of diverted funds
Kiley’s letter cited investigative reports by Fox 11 Los Angeles and the local outlet Circling the News that claim millions raised at FireAid were routed to nonprofits “with a tenuous connection (at best) to fire relief,” including organizations focused on “multigenerational power building” and other missions outside the burn zone. He contends that such grants are “likely inconsistent with donor intent” and asks the Department of Justice to trace the money flow before Congress considers additional disaster-aid packages for California.
FireAid was staged on Jan. 30, 2025, filling both the brand-new Intuit Dome and the neighboring Kia Forum on the eve of Grammy Week. The event was spearheaded by music executive Irving Azoff and his wife, Shelli, in partnership with Live Nation Entertainment and the Annenberg Foundation. Live Nation handled production, while Steve and Connie Ballmer and the L.A. Clippers offset operating costs.
Organizers touted a lineup of more than 30 acts—including Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks and Olivia Rodrigo—and said the dual-venue show was watched by some 50 million viewers across 28 streaming platforms.
In fundraising appeals, FireAid pledged that donations “will not be used for administrative purposes” and would go toward “immediate needs and long-term recovery” for Angelenos displaced by the deadly January fires that destroyed more than 18,000 structures and claimed at least 29 lives.
According to the Annenberg Foundation, total proceeds are “expected to exceed $100 million,” with $75 million already distributed in two grant rounds. Kiley, however, argues that much of that money has bypassed victims entirely, pointing to grants for groups located far outside Los Angeles County—such as “After the Fire” in Sonoma.
FireAid representatives responded on Wednesday and showed that their earliest priorities were organizations providing direct cash, food, and shelter to survivors, followed by $1 million to the LA Regional Food Bank, $500 cash grants to landscapers, street vendors, and other outdoor workers who lost their homes or jobs in the fires, and $2 million the the direct-aid group The Change Reaction.
The Los Angeles Times reported that they individually contacted over 100 organizations that received FireAid funds, including nonprofits in food aid, housing, mental health, childcare, and ecological resilience. The Times said that a review of the beneficiaries’ grants and work showed that “FireAid was an urgent lifeline in the worst of the disaster and beyond.”
FURTHER READING: FireAid raises an estimated $100 million to assist wildfire victims
While the $100 million will help those directly impacted by the fires, FireAid organizers noted that this money is just a sliver of the billions in damage inflicted across California, as the aid needed is staggering.
