News/Commentary

Sen. Feinstein, 90, sues ‘perplexed’ late husband’s estate

July 20, 2023 | | Print Article

At 90 years old, Senator Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) has seen her share of health issues, and according to a new lawsuit filed Monday in San Francisco Superior Court, the estate of her late husband, investor Richard Blum, is refusing to reimburse her for her “significant” medical bills.

The world has watched in agony as the oldest member of Congress has struggled with a clear decline in her cognitive abilities, suffered through shingles, and disappeared from Capitol Hill for two-and-a-half months.

Feinstein’s refusal to resign from the position she has held for more than three decades has been blamed for a “backlog of judge confirmations through the Judiciary Committee,” the Daily Mail notes, giving her a reputation that “has begun to sour.”

Upon her return to Congress in May, her frail appearance shocked many, including some of her fellow Democrats.


In the filing, attorneys for Feinstein and her daughter Katherine Feinstein, who represents her mom, argue that “the purported trustees” of the marital trust Blum, who passed in 2022, established for his wife in 1996 “have refused to make distributions to reimburse Sen. Feinstein´s medical expenses.”

The trust includes assets and a life insurance policy and its proceeds, the attorneys note in the complaint, and Sen. Feinstein is the trust’s “sole income beneficiary.”

Additionally, they claim “purported trustees” Mark R. Klein and Marc Scholvinck “were not appointed in compliance with the terms of the trust,” according to the Daily Mail.

ADVERTISEMENT

The attorneys asked the court to confirm Senator Feinstein’s wish to appoint Katherine to manage the fund.

Steven P. Braccini, an attorney for Klein and Scholvinck, denied Feinstein’s claims.

“My clients are perplexed by this filing,” Braccini said in a statement. “Richard Blum’s trust has never denied any disbursement to Sen. Feinstein, let alone for medical expenses.”

“While my clients are deeply concerned,” he added, “we all remain hopeful that this is simply a misunderstanding that can be quickly resolved.”

ADVERTISEMENT

There also appears to be some confusion as to the role Katherine plays in her mother’s affairs.

A former judge and a member of the San Francisco Fire Commission, Katherine is listed in the filing as Dianne’s “attorney in fact,” meaning she can act on her mother’s behalf.

However, according to Braccini, “We have not been presented with any evidence showing that Katherine Feinstein has power of attorney for her mother; nor has Katherine made it clear, either in this filing or directly to my clients, why a sitting United States senator would require someone to have power of attorney over her.”

As one of the wealthiest members of Congress — she’s worth around $58 million, according to the Los Angeles Times — Feinstein is covered by not only Medicare but by DC Health Link, which offers health plans for our nation’s lawmakers.

The Senator’s spokesperson, Adam Russell, declined the Daily Mail’s request for a comment on what he characterized as “a private legal matter.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, the outlet reports, “A recent poll found that nearly two-thirds of registered California voters think that the Democratic senator is not fit for office.”

“Of all voters in California,” according to the Daily Mail, “42 percent say that Feinstein should step down from her office, while 27 percent think she should serve out the rest of her term.”

Melissa Fine
Latest posts by Melissa Fine (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles