State office lacks authority to investigate Lewiston shooting funds, AG tells lawmakers
Maine Attorney General Says Private Charity Fund for Lewiston Victims Is Beyond OPEGA’s Reach
The Maine Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee heard this week that the state’s Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA) has no jurisdiction to probe how charitable money collected after the Oct. 25, 2023 Lewiston mass shooting was handled. The Attorney General’s office confirmed that the funds in question were purely private donations, not public money, and that the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF) – the charity that collected and disbursed the money – is not a government entity.
A Complex Web of Fundraising
The tragedy that left 12 people dead and dozens injured spurred a swift outpouring of donations. The city of Lewiston, the Lewiston‑Auburn Chamber of Commerce, and a local non‑profit called the Lewiston‑Auburn Area Response Fund all stepped in to organize fundraising efforts. The Chamber created the One Lewiston Fund, while MaineCF later assumed responsibility for both collecting and disbursing the money.
MaineCF split the donations into two buckets: one earmarked for victims’ families and survivors, and another for broader community recovery. Donors could choose either bucket or split their contributions. A steering committee guided the distribution, and by March 2024 the foundation reported that it had distributed $4.7 million to 162 recipients, including families and survivors, and an additional $1.9 million to 29 local nonprofits—about $65,000 each—to support services such as trauma counseling, legal aid, and food and transportation assistance.
Questions from Victims and the Community
In 2024, some families and community members raised concerns that the fund had not reached all those who needed help. They argued that certain nonprofits were not allocating money to victims’ families as promised and that some donors felt misled about where their money would go. Former governor Paul Le Page, who is running for Maine’s U.S. House seat, called the situation “broken trust” and said, “The victims and families of the Lewiston shooting deserve answers.” He added that donors had been led to believe their contributions would directly benefit those harmed by the tragedy.
Lewiston City Council President Joshua Nagine, in a letter to the oversight committee, asked OPEGA to provide a detailed review of the city’s fundraising and the decision‑making process behind the fund’s allocations. He urged MaineCF to explain its accounting methods and to consider mediation with those who felt aggrieved.
Attorney General’s Findings
Attorney General Aaron Frey explained that the money
