LEWISTON, Maine — Republican gubernatorial candidate David Jones is escalating his push for outside scrutiny of donations raised after the 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, launching an online petition that calls for a federal investigation into how a major relief fund was handled.
Jones has attended the last two Lewiston City Council meetings urging councilors to open an investigation into the shooting fund. On Tuesday, he read aloud comments he said he received through the petition, arguing that at best, the council appears disinterested, and, at worst, doesn’t care about what donors intended or what survivors and families expected.
David Jones, in a statement to the Maine Wire, said “”I told the Lewiston City Council the truth and asked for them to investigate the misappropriated shooting victims’ funds. It fell on deaf ears. There are still shooting victims suffering and that $1.9 Million would really help them.
To show how tone deaf the Lewiston City Council is they appointed a new Councilor that no one ever voted for. They had the opportunity to appoint a previous Councilor who was voted in second and lost to a candidate who was illegitimate because of a fake address. That was the obvious and ethical solution. Lewiston needs change and the people must demand it now “
Jones’ petition, hosted on Change.org, urges the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Maine Community Foundation’s handling of money donated after the tragedy. In a petition update dated Jan. 14, Jones said the effort quickly gathered more than 1,250 signatures and again called for a federal probe.
https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-doj-investigate-lewiston-shooting-fund-fraud
The debate has revived long-running questions about how community recovery money was distributed after Maine’s deadliest mass shooting. On Oct. 25, 2023, an Army reservist, Robert Card, opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, killing 18 people and injuring 13 others, according to state and federal reporting at the time. Card was later found dead after an intense, multi day manhunt.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HTtk2YFqx
In the days after the shooting, Gov. Janet Mills’ administration created an online “Healing Together” clearinghouse meant to direct the public toward vetted resources including places to donate money. In announcing the site’s launch, Mills said many people were asking how they could help and encouraged Mainers to use the website as a resource to support victims’ families and the broader Lewiston community. The Governor has been extremely quiet on this issue, of late. Recently, she said that she supports an investigation into GateWay Communities Services, one of the non profits that received the funds. Yet, there is no official written statement supporting that. It was reported by only one media agency. Governor Mills and her staff have been asked by this reporter, five times on the issue. The Maine Wire has, yet to get a response.
