Katherine Feinstein, the daughter of Senator Dianne Feinstein, has filed court documents alleging elder abuse against the co-trustees of a trust in the name of Richard Blum, Feinstein’s deceased husband.
Katherine Feinstein, who has limited power of attorney over her mother, claims that Michael Klein, Marc Scholvinck, and Verett Mims are committing financial elder abuse against the 90-year-old senator.
The backstory: The filing states that the co-trustees have not funded a trust in which Senator Feinstein is the sole income beneficiary and have failed to make the required distributions to her since Blum’s death in 2022.
- Katherine Feinstein alleges that the co-trustees are intentionally delaying payments to the senator in order to benefit Richard Blum’s biological daughters, who stand to inherit millions of dollars that should rightfully go to Senator Feinstein.
- Katherine Feinstein is seeking to suspend the co-trustees, pending a decision on whether to remove them, in order to prevent further loss and injury to her mother.
- This latest filing adds to the ongoing legal battles over Richard Blum’s trusts, and it remains unclear how directly involved Senator Feinstein is in these court battles, given reports of her declining mental acuity.
What they’re saying: Steven P. Braccini, attorney for Klein and Scholvinck, responded to the allegations by stating, “The trustees have acted ethically and appropriately at all times; the same cannot be said for Katherine Feinstein. 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.”
- In a previous filing, Katherine Feinstein accused the co-trustees of failing to disburse money from a separate trust for the senator’s medical expenses. The co-trustees denied this allegation, stating that they had never denied any disbursement to Senator Feinstein.
- Katherine Feinstein argues that the co-trustees were using deceptive language when they claimed to have never denied disbursements, stating that their failure to respond to requests is a de facto denial.
- Attorneys for Michael Klein have also accused Katherine Feinstein and her husband of attempting to sell Senator Feinstein’s Stinson Beach home without adequate legal authority.
