Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has filed a lawsuit accusing the trustees of her late husband's estate of financial elder abuse.
The California Democrat has filed three lawsuits this summer, including one filed Aug. 8, against the co-trustees of the estate of her late husband Richard Blum alleging she has been unable to access any of his assets and seeking the appointment of a temporary trustee to manage it, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Unless the Court orders the Trustees to do so, they will continue to refuse to fund [the trust for Feinstein] in violation of [Blum’s] Trust’s clear directive," the lawsuit alleges.
The suit also reveals the 90-year-old senator, whose mental fitness and physical health have been questioned recently, had executed a limited durable power of attorney July 23 allowing her daughter to act as her representative in litigation.
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Steven Braccini, the attorney representing co-trustees Michael Klein and Marc Scholvinck, has previously said they never denied disbursements to Feinstein and had paid her $125,000 each quarter, but the new lawsuit argues their claims are misleading.
“The Trustees have failed to respond to any requests for disbursements, which is a de facto denial,” the suit states.
The lawsuit seeks their removal as trustees of the estate and alleges they had paid for gifts to Blum's three daughters, who the suit claims will inherit at least $22 million after Feinstein's death if the money is available, but Braccini denied the allegations.
“[The trustees] have acted ethically and appropriately at all times; the same cannot be said for Katherine Feinstein," Braccini said. "This filing is unconscionable. The trustees have always respected Senator Feinstein and always will. But this has nothing to do with her needs and everything to do with her daughter’s avarice.”
