(NewsNation) — A new report from the House Judiciary Committee alleges some of the $100 million raised to provide relief for wildfire victims in Los Angeles was misused by the FireAid charity.
The report contends that instead of helping the victims, some donations made to FireAid went toward causes and projects unrelated to fire recovery, “including voter participation for Native Americans, illegal aliens, podcasts and fungus planting.”
As California marks one year since the deadly fires, thousands of victims still have no home to return to. In the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, empty lots greatly outnumber those with construction activity. There are endless accounts of victims struggling to get by, as they battle insurance companies and a litany of financial challenges.
America’s biggest stars and people all over the country donated generously when the FireAid concert was held Jan. 30, 2025. The star-studded concert and matching donation push raised $100 million for the FireAid charity, which has said most of the money has already been disbursed.
A Los Angeles Times investigation and an outside law firm confirmed that most grants went to groups aligned with FireAid’s mission, such as food banks and nonprofits providing assistance with housing and health services.
Homes along Pacific Coast Highway are seen burn out from the Palisades Fire, Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) 
An aerial view shows the devastation left by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file) 
A basketball is stuck in the net outside of a residence destroyed by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) 
Homes along the Pacific Coast Highway are seen burned by the Palisades fire on Jan. 12, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) 
An aerial view shows homes burned in the Eaton Fire on Feb. 05, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
In August, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., began investigating the money trail, questioning whether those contributions went directly to the victims. The report found that among the disbursements questioned, $100,000 went to a group to engage Native American voters and another $100,000 to the NAACP of Pasadena. In addition, the report notes that over half a million dollars went to political advocacy groups with unclear ties to any wildfire relief.
FireAid has yet to respond to the new report. There is $25 million in remaining grants that FireAid plans to distribute in a final round this year, a process that is now under greater scrutiny.
FireAid has highlighted its mission of no misuse of funds and engaged an outside law firm to review the distribution process. The charity has also touted transparency, listing all beneficiaries and grant amounts on the fireaid.org website.