LEWISTON, Maine — A donor to the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund plans to file a formal complaint with the Maine Attorney General’s Office regarding how donations were handled following the 2023 mass shootings.
The submission will mark the first official complaint the Attorney General’s Office has received from a donor concerning the fund.
Daniel Chapin, founder of the Youth Peace and Justice Foundation (formerly the Uvalde Foundation for Kids), said the planned complaint seeks clarification on what oversight has taken place and whether donor concerns can be evaluated under Maine’s charitable solicitation laws.
The move follows testimony on Wednesday from Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey before the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability (OPEGA). AG Frey stated that OPEGA lacks jurisdiction to investigate the management of privately donated funds. However, he noted that his office retains the authority to review concerns regarding potentially misleading charitable solicitations once a formal complaint is submitted.
