Residents press Lewiston council for transparency after mass‑shooting donations routed to nonprofits
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Summary
Multiple public speakers accused the Maine Community Foundation and some nonprofits of diverting $1.9 million to organizations rather than directly to victims; speakers urged the council to request audits, return funds and form a victim‑centered fund. The city posted a timeline of donations and staff said materials are available online.
During the public‑comment period, several speakers — including family members of victims, local officials and state representatives — urged the Lewiston City Council to seek transparency and restitution for donations made after the October 25, 2023 mass shooting.
Amy Sussman, who said she is the aunt of one of the 18 people killed, told the council she had previously emailed members about the Maine Community Foundation (MCF) distributing grants to nonprofits and said survivors and many family members received much smaller amounts. "These nonprofits were not required to help the survivors and family members of those killed," Sussman said, and called the distribution "revictimizing" for survivors who learned later how the funds were allocated.
State Representative Quentin Chapman and other speakers repeated figures circulating in public testimony: they said the Maine Community Foundation raised $6.6 million, that roughly $4.7 million had been distributed directly to 162 individuals (about $30,000 average), and that approximately $1.9 million was awarded to 29 nonprofits at roughly $65,500 each. Chapman asked the council to "pass a resolution today" requesting that nonprofits return grants to a victim‑centered fund and to demand audits of MCF disbursements.
Several speakers described personal connections to victims and urged mayoral and council action to ensure medical bills and other survivor needs were covered. Representative David Boyer told the council that proactive disclosure of who received funds, how much each recipient received and plans for remaining balances would help community healing.
Administrator Ken Rath said the city has posted a comprehensive timeline and record of the donations and their history on the city's website and social media, and thanked communications staff and partners who assisted with the flowchart. Councilors and staff discussed the limits of municipal authority (e.g., the state's Attorney General has been involved) and the logistical difficulty of forcing nonprofits to return grants, but several councilors signaled support for pursuing more transparency and exploring next steps.
The public’s remarks included calls for: independent audits of the Maine Community Foundation and recipient nonprofits; redistributing remaining funds to survivors; and a council resolution formally requesting returns or audits. Councilors said they would review the city’s posted materials and consider what actions the council could legally and practically pursue.
