Senator Dianne Feinstein’s (D., Calif.) daughter Katherine has filed a lawsuit on behalf of her ailing mother accusing the trustees of her late-husband’s estate of elder abuse.
The legal filing accuses Michael Klein and Marc Scholvinck, Richard Blum’s two appointed trustees, of “wrongfully withholding distributions to which (Blum’s) Trust entitles her [Feinstein] in bad faith and diverting assets that they should have used to fund.”
Katherine Feinstein, the senator’s daughter who was recently granted power-of-attorney privileges over her mother in early August, submitted the claim before the Superior Court of California last Tuesday.
“The Trustees have failed to respond to any requests for disbursements, which is a de facto denial,” the suit states. A previous filing argues that withheld trust funds left the elderly senator incapable of paying “significant medical expenses” following her shingles diagnosis earlier this year.
Steven Braccini, the legal representative of Blum’s two trustees, dismissed such allegations, telling the San Francisco Chronicle – the outlet which first broke the story – that they “never denied any disbursement to Senator Feinstein.”
“The trustees have acted ethically and appropriately at all times; the same cannot be said for Katherine Feinstein,” Braccini told National Review on Wednesday afternoon. “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.”
Klein, a former business associate of Blum’s, told the Chronicle that the California senator was receiving $125,000 every quarter.
Concerns within the Democratic Party have mounted as Feinstein’s health has kept her away from Capitol Hill for month-long stretches this year. Last Wednesday, the senator was hospitalized after a minor fall.
“Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home,” a spokesperson told National Review in a statement. “All of her scans were clear and she returned home.”
In May, the New York Times reported Feinstein had grown dependent on aides to perform daily aspects of her work. One unnamed source said that staffers had to explain to Feinstein “the basics of how the Senate functions.”
Since Feinstein’s long-awaited return in July, the senator has had many gaffes, including telling a reporter she was never absent from the legislative session. During a speech last month before the Senate Appropriations Committee, an aide was seen whispering into the senator’s ear, coaching her to, “Just say aye.”