Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) joined survivors and families of victims from the Lewiston mass shooting in calling for accountability and transparency over how millions of dollars in donations were distributed as the second anniversary of the tragedy approaches.
Survivors and relatives say funds that donors believed would go directly to victims were instead reallocated to outside organizations, some of which, they contend, had no clear connection to victim support. They say they were never notified of these decisions.
LePage said he helped raise more than $474,000 to support victims and their families and now questions whether the money was diverted away from those it was intended to help. The former governor, who is now running for Maine’s Second Congressional Disyrict seat, grew up in Lewiston.
“It’s about broken trust,” LePage said. “Victims, families and Mainers believed every dollar would help victims heal. Instead, we’re finding out funds were diverted with little transparency. I continue to stand with the victims and families who are suffering from this shooting.”
Jennifer Zanca, who was shot in the arm, said she learned that nonprofits received more funding than she did while she faced an unpaid $93,000 hospital bill that her insurance denied.
“I am torn between gratitude for the support, then angered when I was facing a $93,000 outstanding hospital bill that was denied by insurance,” Zanca said.
Destiny Johnson, who was present at Schemengees bar — one of the two sites of the mass killing — during the shooting, said survivors were unaware that part of the fund would not go directly to victims.
“We never knew part of the fund wasn’t going directly to victims and survivors. It feels like betrayal,” Johnson said. “Some of the families still haven’t financially recovered, and yet donated money was given out to other people.”
Kelsay Hathaway, who lost her brother Maxx in the tragedy, said families trusted the foundation to prioritize their needs.
“We trusted this foundation, and now, because they were not forthcoming about how the funds would be distributed, we all discovered our own needs were not prioritized,” Hathaway said. “It feels like our tragedy was just used to take advantage of people and their willingness to help the families in their time of need.”
Victims and families point to reports showing the Maine Community Foundation created a “Broad Recovery & Organizations Fund” alongside the “Victims & Families Fund.” According to those reports, the foundation allocated $1.9 million to 29 local groups. Survivors say many of those groups had no direct connection to victim services. One recipient, Gateway Community Services, has faced scrutiny over alleged MaineCare welfare fraud.
Each organization reportedly received nearly $70,000, including groups such as AK Collaborative, Empowered Immigrant Women Unite, New Mainers Public Health Initiative, Somali Bantu Community Association and United Youth Empowerment Services.
LePage said an investigation is needed to clarify what the foundation told donors and families, why certain groups received funds and how the money was ultimately spent.
“Victims and families deserve a full investigation into what was communicated to them and to donors by the foundation, why these unconnected groups received cash and how it was spent,” LePage said. “These families deserve answers.“
Maine Senate Republicans echoed LePage’s call for accountability on Tuesday afternoon in a statement issued by their leadership.
“It is unconscionable that funds raised to help the victims of the Lewiston shooting could have been diverted to completely unrelated groups, including groups focused largely on non-citizens who were not victims,” said Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Aroostook. “Maine Community Foundation had no business redirecting these funds that donors believed would benefit those affected by the shootings to completely unrelated nonprofits. I hope the Government Oversight Committee will authorize an investigation into how these funds were allocated.”
“We’ve seen reporting that these politically oriented nonprofits have received up to twice as much funding from MCF than survivors. If this is true, Maine Community Foundation must answer for this egregious breach of donors’ trust,” said Assistant Minority Leader Matthew Harrington, R- York. “The survivors of the Lewiston tragedy, many of whom are still left with mounting hospital bills and other expenses, deserve answers.”
