Donald Trump has implored a New York appellate court to put a halt to the attempts of his niece, Mary Trump, to gain access to family financial records. These efforts are part of an ongoing breach of contract lawsuit that has been delayed by disputes over discovery for several months. Trump’s legal team submitted opposition papers last week with the aim of obstructing Mary Trump’s appeal and propelling the case toward trial.
The disagreement revolves around Mary Trump’s demand for Estate Valuation Materials relating to the estate of her grandfather, Fred Trump Sr. She contends that these documents could substantiate her claim of being deceitfully persuaded to sign a family settlement agreement in 2001, having been misled about the actual value of her inheritance after her grandfather’s death in 1999.
Michael Madaio, the attorney representing the former president, informed the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division that Mary Trump’s arguments have been consistently dismissed. The brief argued that Reed was correct in his refusal to enforce discovery that was “not material or necessary” to any feasible claim or defense.
Donald Trump initially sued Mary Trump, accusing her of breaching a confidentiality clause in the family agreement by supplying tax documents to the New York Times and revealing information in her book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” The book, which presents a psychological portrait of her uncle, sold 950,000 copies on its first day of release.
The president is seeking a minimum of 100 million dollars in damages, alleging that his niece collaborated with the New York Times in what he describes as a sinister scheme to reveal confidential tax records. The New York Times conducted an investigation in 2018, scrutinizing Trump’s finances and accusing him of tax schemes related to the fortune he inherited from his father. The investigative piece won a Pulitzer Prize.
Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist with a doctorate from Adelphi University, is the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., Donald Trump’s brother. He passed away from a heart attack attributed to alcohol use on September 26, 1981, at the age of 42.
Justice Robert Reed has repeatedly denied Mary Trump’s discovery requests. In August, he once again rejected her efforts to enforce the discovery of the “Estate Valuation Materials,” ruling that the documents “clearly and unambiguously released” Donald Trump “from unknown claims, including fraud claims.”
Despite her appeal, Mary Trump also sought permission to reargue her case. Reed denied that request in August. In October 2024, her legal team informed the appellate court that if Reed’s rulings were left unchallenged, it would lead to significant prejudice, effectively barring her from presenting one of her affirmative defenses.
Trump’s legal team responded, asserting that “Justice Reed correctly declined to compel production since Dr. Trump’s request was based on a flawed legal theory that had been expressly waived by contract, rejected in a prior litigation, and affirmed on appeal.” They contended that Reed was right in his refusal to enforce production because her request was founded on “a flawed legal theory.”
The family disagreement can be traced back to Fred Trump Sr.’s will, which bequeathed the majority of his estate in equal parts to his surviving children, leaving each grandchild $200,000. Despite legal counsel advising him in 1981 to increase the shares for Fred Trump Jr.’s children after his death, Fred Sr. declined to amend his will.
Fred Trump Sr. was diagnosed with mild senile dementia in 1991 and later developed Alzheimer’s disease. When he passed away in 1999, Mary Trump and her brother Fred Trump III challenged the will. They filed a lawsuit alleging that Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and Robert Trump had exerted undue influence on their elderly grandfather.
As a response to the lawsuit, Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and Robert Trump discontinued medical insurance for Mary Trump and Fred Trump III. This included coverage for Fred III’s son William, who had been diagnosed with epileptic spasms requiring lifelong care. Previously, the family’s medical expenses had been covered by a foundation established by Fred Sr.
The dispute was resolved in 2001 when Mary Trump and Fred Trump III sold their interests in the family’s real estate assets. The settlement included a confidentiality clause which is now the basis of Donald Trump’s current lawsuit against Mary Trump.
In September 2020, Mary Trump filed her own lawsuit against Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and the estate of Robert Trump. She accused them of defrauding her out of tens of millions of dollars related to her share of the real estate assets. In response, Donald Trump filed a countersuit in September 2021.
Mary Trump has authored three books examining her family. After “Too Much and Never Enough,” she published “The Reckoning” in July 2021, and “Who Could Ever Love You” in October 2024. She also hosts a podcast and offers political commentary.
The oral argument on Mary Trump’s appeal is expected to take place in February 2026. At the trial court level, Reed established a series of deadlines last week, setting an August 2026 target for confirming that discovery is complete and the case is ready for trial.
Both parties have agreed to complete depositions by April 9 and finish expert discovery and all disclosures by June 2026. They are expected to file a Note of Issue confirming the case is prepared for trial by August 2026.
Trump’s opposition brief contended that Mary Trump’s request for estate valuation materials was solely to support a fraudulent inducement theory that had been dismissed in previous litigation. The brief argued that Reed was correct in refusing to enforce discovery that would only serve to rehash issues already definitively resolved. These discovery disputes have caused the case to be delayed for months, hindering its progress to trial.
The New York Times’ investigation that triggered part of the lawsuit was a 14,000-word exposé titled “Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax Schemes as He Reaped Riches From His Father.” The investigation, based on over 100,000 pages of documents, allegedly disclosed the details of Trump’s financial tactics. Mary Trump’s provision of tax documents to the newspaper is central to the breach of contract allegations brought against her by Donald Trump.
