Staff Reports
The families of the Lewiston victims are rightly furious, and they should be. New records show roughly $1.9 million raised after the Lewiston-Auburn mass shooting was handed out in equal chunks to 29 nonprofits — even though many donors and survivors expected money to go straight to the victims. Now survivors are calling for an independent review. Meanwhile, Maine’s Attorney General says the Legislature’s watchdog can’t even touch the case because the money was private. That smells like a cover-up by process if not intent.
What the records show
The Maine Community Foundation’s Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund raised millions and split it into two tracks: a Victims & Families Fund and a Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund. Foundation records show about $4.7 million went into the victims track and roughly $1.9 million was divided evenly — about $65,522 each — among 29 nonprofits. The foundation says donors could choose which track to back, and that steering committees set eligibility. Families say public messaging gave donors and survivors the impression that the money would go to victims first. The missing piece is accountability: MaineCF did not require mandatory, full spending reports from those 29 groups.
Survivors demand answers
Survivors and family members held a news conference and demanded an independent review and more transparency. Jennifer Zanca, a survivor, asked why some nonprofits received more than twice what many victims got from the fund. Amy Sussman said families will keep pushing until there is “true accountability.” One nonprofit, The Root Cellar, returned its $65,521.79 grant and funneled it to victims through VictimsFirst — a rare example of righting a wrong without waiting for a ruler to weigh in.
Attorney General says watchdog lacks authority
Attorney General Aaron Frey told the Legislature that the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) lacks authority to investigate because the money was private charitable donations, not state funds. That legal opinion effectively blocks the state watchdog path. Frey pointed families toward the Maine Charitable Solicitations Act as a possible route, but that is a slower, murkier path. Meanwhile the foundation insists it followed the two-track plan and waived administrative fees. Fine — but following paper rules isn’t the same as honoring donor intent or providing meaningful oversight.
Why this matters and what should happen next
This is about more than dollars. It’s about trust. When donors give to help grieving families, they deserve clarity. When survivors face medical bills, therapy, lost wages and the long trauma of rebuilding life, they shouldn’t have to fight for every cent donated in their name. The state should not be powerless to demand transparency from private groups acting as de facto disaster fund managers. Lawmakers should close that gap, authorize a narrow, independent audit, and require full spending reports for disaster funds. If charities got money intended for victims, they should return it. If they used it properly, they should show the receipts. Anything less is a favor to insiders and a betrayal of the grieving.
The families asked the right question: who got the money and why? The people of Maine — and donors across the country — deserve answers. If officials and foundations won’t provide them, the Legislature should change the rules so this never happens again. Survivors shouldn’t have to beg for what was promised in their darkest hour. That’s not compassion. It’s a scandal waiting to be cleaned up.
