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An investigation by Fox LA’s Marla Tellez and journalist Sue Pascoe revealed the stunning truth: “Not a single dollar from the $100 MILLION raised ever reached them,” the California GOP stated. “California Democrats funneled it to nonprofits instead. This is what corruption looks like.”
Journalist Blows the Lid Off
Sue Pascoe, an investigative journalist who lost her own home in the fires, started asking questions after a reader reached out to ask how to apply for aid.
“I thought, ‘I’ve never thought about that. There’s 12,000 people . . . 12,000 homes gone. Those people probably want to know where the money is,’” Pascoe told Fox LA.
She reached out to the Annenberg Foundation, which had been entrusted with managing the donations — only to be ignored.
Weeks later, Pascoe was finally connected with foundation spokesperson Chris Wallace, who delivered the bombshell: none of the $100 million would go directly to victims.
“I contacted Chris, and I said, ‘You know, victims want to know when they can get their money,’” Pascoe recounted. “That’s when I was told that all the money would go to nonprofits.”
Who Got the Money?
According to Pascoe’s findings, $50 million was initially distributed to around 120 nonprofit groups. But most had no clear ties to fire recovery.
“One of them said ‘We help mobile home parks,’ and there were two mobile home parks in the Palisades . . . and so I contacted the people there. They had never received any money. They had never heard of that,” she said.
Even more outrageous, some of the funds were routed to organizations like the California Native Vote Project — a group with no role in disaster relief. Another chunk of money reportedly went to CalVolunteers, a government entity already funded by taxpayers.
“I would urge everyone to just go to the nonprofits that are listed, if you’d want a good laugh,” Pascoe quipped.
Bureaucrats Get Paid, Victims Get Left Behind
Six months later, many fire victims are still stuck in limbo — living in temporary shelters, unable to rebuild their lives. Meanwhile, nonprofit executives with six-figure salaries are quietly cashing checks from the FireAid pool.
Fox LA’s Marla Tellez put it bluntly: the system for distributing aid had “a very simple” vetting process — and that simplicity may have made it ripe for abuse.
Pascoe didn’t mince words either: “I think they’re not helping the victims at all. They don’t say how much each individual nonprofit gets.”
Corruption Wearing a Celebrity Smile
What makes this scandal especially infuriating is the smug self-congratulation that surrounded it. Celebrities and politicians cheered themselves for raising millions, but when it came time to do the hard work of helping families, they handed off responsibility to a web of nonprofit cronies.
Behind the glittering lights of the FireAid concert was a stunning act of political theater. The donations were real. The victims’ suffering was real. But the relief was never delivered.
This is what happens when liberal elites use tragedy as a platform — not to help, but to enrich a tight-knit circle of “approved” organizations and loyal operatives.
California Republicans are demanding answers, and rightfully so. But the question remains: will voters finally hold these politicians and celebrity enablers accountable?
These families needed action — not applause. They needed support — not slick PR campaigns. And they deserved leaders who would put their lives ahead of nonprofit backroom deals.
Until California’s leadership changes course, stories like this will continue to define a state where the people are always last, and the insiders are always first.
