Family members of people killed in the Aurora movie theater shooting are asking the state to investigate Community First Foundation and its Giving First website for allegedly violating state law in the way it solicited relief funds for victims.

The Malman Law Firm, on behalf of 24 named family members, hand-delivered letters Tuesday to offices of the Colorado attorney general and secretary of state calling for the investigation. The group is also asking for an audit of the fund.

The group’s members are related to 11 of the 12 people killed in the July 20 massacre at the Century Aurora 16 theater. All but relatives of Jesse Childress are included. The mass shooting also injured at least 58 people.

The letter accuses Community First and its Giving First website of violating several provisions of the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act, including using their loved ones’ names and photos without permission and misrepresenting the use of the funds collected.

The Giving First site quickly raised more than $5 million for the Aurora Victim Relief Fund that was co-founded by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The attorney general and secretary of state offices confirmed they received the letter requesting an investigation and are reviewing it. Both offices would not comment on whether an investigation will be opened.

“Community First Foundation realizes our transparency maintains faith — not only in the giving process — but also among the organizations and individuals who are the recipients of that generosity,” the foundation said in a statement Tuesday night. “To that end, the board of directors … is engaging an independent auditor to conduct an audit of the Aurora Victim Relief fund.”

Hickenlooper’s spokesman Eric Brown said the governor’s office hasn’t lost confidence in the integrity of the nonprofit foundation.

“Community First Foundation, like so many other organizations and individuals, stepped up at a time when our community was in crisis,” Brown said.

In the days after the Aurora shooting, Community First’s online donation site, GivingFirst.org, and its Facebook page posted photos and names of victims and asked potential donors to “Support Victims of the Aurora Shooting.” (The site later changed the wording of its solicitation to: “Support Aurora Victim Relief Efforts.”)

The families’ letter states that the law holds that “persons or organizations commit charitable fraud if they knowingly solicit any contribution … (using) the name or symbol of another person or organization without written authorization from such person or organization for such use.”

The group also said Community First didn’t have permission to use the victims’ names and photos. It also asks that anyone within Colorado stop using the names and photos of any victims, both surviving and dead, without first obtaining permission.

The group cited law that said an organization cannot misrepresent the cause or purpose for which donations would be used. Violation of the statutes, the letter states, is up to a Class 5 felony.

“We are certain that everyone who donated their hard-earned wages intended for 100 percent of their donations to go directly to the victims,” group spokesman Tom Teves said at an Aug. 28 news conference in Aurora.

Yet, he said, $100,000 from the fund was disbursed July 26 to 10 area nonprofits, including the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance and the Bonfils Blood Center.

Community First Foundation officials said donors specifically earmarked that money for those nonprofits.

Electa Draper: 303-954-1276, edraper@denverpost.com or twitter.com/electadraper