Feinstein sues for control of late husband’s trust amid ‘significant’ medical bills

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) began a legal effort this week to gain greater control over her late husband’s estate as she tries to pay off what her lawyers describe as “significant medical expenses.”

Katherine Feinstein, the California senator’s 65-year-old daughter who has power of attorney for her mother, alleged in a petition on Monday that the 90-year-old widow has been denied requested assets from her late husband’s trust by its current trustees. The filing claims that when Feinstein’s husband, financier Richard Blum, died in February of last year, two of his longtime associates, Marc Scholvinck and Michael Klein, were improperly appointed to the trustee roles.

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The younger Feinstein, a former San Francisco Superior Court judge who was Blum’s stepdaughter, alleges that the two men have refused to fulfill the longtime senator’s requests for money, and is suing for control of the trust.

“Despite the settlor’s intent to support his spouse after his death, the purported trustees have refused to make distributions to reimburse Senator Feinstein’s medical expenses,” according to the suit filed with the San Francisco Superior Court.

Feinstein is the “sole income beneficiary” of Blum’s marital trust, which was established in 1996 and includes a life insurance policy and its proceeds, the petition states.

Steven Braccini, an attorney for Scholvinck and Klein, said in a statement on Monday’s filing that Blum’s trust “has never denied any disbursement to Senator Feinstein, let alone for medical expenses.”

The statement continues by noting that the two men have “not been presented with any evidence showing that Katherine Feinstein has power of attorney for her mother,” and that they “remain hopeful that this is simply a misunderstanding that can be quickly resolved, rather than a stepdaughter engaging in some kind of misguided attempt to gain control over trust assets to which she is not entitled.”

A hearing has been scheduled for early September to address the filing.

The senator’s office said in response to news of the filing on Wednesday, “This is a private legal matter. Senator Feinstein and her office won’t have any comment.”

Feinstein, the Senate’s oldest member, had been gone from the upper chamber for months after receiving a shingles diagnosis in February. Her absence stymied the Democrats’ ability to pass President Joe Biden’s nominees and legislative efforts. The party only controls the Senate by a 51-49 margin, meaning that one absence gives the Republicans an opportunity to block any partisan effort.

After years of criticisms from those in her party who said she was no longer up to the job, Feinstein said at the time of her diagnosis that she wouldn’t seek reelection in 2024, though she vowed to serve out the remaining 20 months of her term. Facing resignation calls from House Democrats and frustration from her Senate colleagues that was spilling out into public view, a wheelchair-bound Feinstein returned to the Capitol in mid-May looking frail and at times disoriented.

Feinstein has remained adamant that she will not resign before the end of her term despite concerns about her fitness to serve and has described being a senator as her “calling.” The 90-year-old has largely been kept out of public view since then, being whisked to and from votes and committee hearings by staff without taking many questions from journalists.

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A New York Times report in May alleged that Feinstein’s shingles had “spread to her face and neck, causing vision and balance impairments and facial paralysis known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome.” She was also experiencing post-shingles encephalitis, which “can leave patients with lasting memory or language problems, sleep disorders, bouts of confusion, mood disorders, headaches and difficulties walking.”

As other outlets began to confirm the diagnosis rumors with sources close to Feinstein, her office acknowledged she was suffering the effects of Ramsay Hunt syndrome but did not address the encephalitis matter specifically.