FALSE: The Governor has stolen $100 million from fire victims (through FireAid)
Claim
The Governor has stolen $100 million from fire victims (through FireAid)
Fact
Neither the Governor nor the state of California has received any funding through the independent, separate fundraising organization known as FireAid.
- There is no connection between FireAid and the Governor’s office – The Governor and the state WERE NOT involved in any way with the fundraising concert.
- Previously, the FireAid website inaccurately listed California Volunteers as a possible recipient of funds – this was later removed, as CalVols did not, in fact, receive any funding from FireAid.
- More on how the funds were distributed to local communities can be read here.
More Lies ...
California did NOT cut firefighting budgets months before LA wildfires
The number of CalFIRE personnel has nearly doubled since 2019 and their budget has nearly doubled since 2019
False Claim: California isn’t ‘raking the forest’ to control wildfires
The state has now invested $2 billion in managing the forest (AKA “raking the forest”) in addition to the $200 million annual budget.
No, California’s smelt fish policy did not lead to the LA wildfires.
This is an outlandish connection to make. The policy is not about water availability in Southern California.