California’s senior Senator Dianne Feinstein is the oldest member of Congress and has been showing her age quite a bit in recent months, highlighted by long illness-related absences from the Capitol and a sharp decline in mental acuity. Though still a reliable member of the Democratic Party ideologically, in practical terms her spotty attendance and reduced acumen have been a source of frustration.
Though she’s still serving as one of just 100 US Senators, 90-year-old Feinstein has relinquished one type of power: the power of attorney.
It is now in the hands of her daughter, Katherine. Feinstein transferred it in part to help handle legal battles over her late husband Richard Blum’s estate, the New York Times reported on Thursday.
In one dispute, Katherine, who is Feinstein’s only child, is at odds with Blum’s three daughters over the ownership of a luxury beach house that is owned by Feinstein, according to the paper. In another, the two families are feuding over Blum’s life insurance.
Feinstein has represented California for over 30 years and announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election in 2024.
