Deciding how to divide millions of dollars in funding raised after the tragedy in Newtown will take longer than scheduled. Hearings set for this week have been postponed, and now the State Attorney General is involved.
The plan was to split nearly eight-million dollars among 40 victim’s families. However, the whole process of distribution has been delayed after questions were raised about whether more money should go to those families.
After the December 14th tragedy, the United Way oversaw millions of dollars in donations from Connecticut and beyond. Administration of more than 11-million dollars has since been turned over to the Newtown – Sandy Hook Community Foundation.
The group determined that 70 percent of funds will go to the families of the 20 children and six educators killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. That money will also go to the families of 12 first graders who survived, as well as two teachers who were wounded.
Hartford Courant sources tell the paper that the State Attorney General’s office met with the victim’s families late last week and some questioned why more money wasn’t going to the families.
Three and a half million dollars is planned for the greater Newtown community. Sources told the Courant that some families are questioning the transparency of the foundation’s decision making process. So a meeting is now planned between the Attorney General’s office and the foundation, which could take place as early as tomorrow.
A spokesman for the foundation says the State Attorney General’s office wants to review the process used to determine how to distribute funds.