Two senior House Republicans are demanding a full accounting of how FireAid has distributed money raised by January’s star-studded benefit concerts in Los Angeles—and want the charity’s remaining funds sent directly to wildfire victims.
In an Aug. 18 letter addressed to FireAid organizers Irving and Shelli Azoff, House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R‑Ohio) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (R‑Calif.) asked for “a detailed breakdown of all nonprofits that received money from FireAid, including the amount, date, recipient, and purpose of each expenditure,” along with supporting documents. The letter sets a 5 p.m. ET, Sept. 2, 2025 deadline for production. It also argues the remaining $25 million should “be allocated directly to victims of the California wildfires,” rather than through third-party organizations. (Letter images below).
Reporting from Sierra Wave summarized the request and noted FireAid says it has already granted roughly $75 million to nearly 200 nonprofits and plans to distribute the balance by year’s end.
Makan Delrahim, a partner at Latham & Watkins representing FireAid – who previously led the DOJ’s antitrust settlement with Live Nation/Ticketmaster in 2019 – said the organization is “in receipt of the letter” and will respond, calling much of the public criticism “misinformation.”
FireAid has defended its approach, saying that as a newly formed 501(c)(3) it does not have the capacity to make direct individual payments and therefore partnered with “trusted local nonprofits” to deliver assistance across food security, housing and other needs—while pledging that no donations would be used for administrative costs.
Growing pressure and prior scrutiny
This latest congressional inquiry follows a wave of scrutiny about whether grants aligned with donor expectations that the money would provide direct relief to those displaced by January’s deadly Southern California fires. As TicketNews previously reported, Rep. Kiley in July urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the distribution of FireAid proceeds, citing local investigative reports that some grants went to groups with limited ties to fire relief. FireAid responded by publishing a grant timeline and pointing to recipients focused on cash aid, food, emergency housing and other immediate services, as well as environmental remediation.
- February: ~$50 million to 120+ groups for immediate relief.
- June: ~$25 million for cleanup, remediation and soil testing.
- Remainder: ~$25 million slated for distribution by year’s end.
(TicketNews prior coverage: California Rep Presses DOJ Over $100M FireAid Benefit Distributions, Organizers Respond and FireAid Retains Latham & Watkins to Audit Relief Grants as Pressure Mounts.)
Delrahim—formerly head of the DOJ Antitrust Division and now at Latham & Watkins—has said the firm is conducting a comprehensive review of FireAid’s governance and grantmaking and will share findings. FireAid maintains every award is posted publicly and tied to recovery efforts, and that not a single dollar of donations has been spent on administrative overhead.
Background on FireAid
FireAid staged back‑to‑back concerts on January 30, 2025, filling both the new Intuit Dome and the neighboring Kia Forum on the eve of Grammy week. The events, spearheaded by the Azoffs in partnership with Live Nation and the Annenberg Foundation, featured more than 30 artists and drew tens of millions of livestream viewers. Organizers have estimated total proceeds at approximately $100 million.
What’s next
All eyes now turn to the Sept. 2 production deadline set by Reps. Jordan and Kiley. FireAid’s counsel says a formal response is forthcoming, and the organization notes it is still accepting applications for a third round of grant funding. Whether the remaining dollars flow through nonprofits—as FireAid has done so far—or are redirected directly to victims, as lawmakers urge, could shape both the charity’s future and the music industry’s broader approach to disaster‑relief fundraising.
