President Donald Trump is requesting that a New York appellate court halt his niece Mary Trump’s pursuit of familial financial documents in relation to an ongoing breach of contract lawsuit. The case has been delayed by discovery disputes for several months. Last week, the president’s legal team submitted opposition papers aiming to block Mary’s appeal and advance the case to trial.
The disagreement is centered on Mary’s request for Estate Valuation Materials pertaining to her grandfather, Fred Trump Sr.’s estate. Mary contends these documents could prove that she was deceived into signing a 2001 family settlement agreement after being misled about the actual value of her inheritance following her grandfather’s passing in 1999.
Michael Madaio, the attorney for the former president, informed the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division that Mary’s arguments have been consistently rejected. The brief stated that New York Supreme Court Justice Robert Reed correctly refused to enforce discovery that was “not material or necessary” to any valid claim or defense.
The original lawsuit against Mary was filed by Donald Trump, claiming she violated a confidentiality clause in the family settlement by providing tax documents to the New York Times and publishing information in her book “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” This book, which provided a psychological analysis of her uncle, sold 950,000 copies on its first day.
Trump’s complaint seeks a minimum of 100 million dollars in damages. He alleges that his niece conspired with the New York Times in what he describes as a devious plot to reveal confidential tax records. In 2018, the New York Times published an investigation into Trump’s finances, accusing him of tax schemes related to the wealth he inherited from his father. This exposé 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, who passed away from a heart attack caused by alcohol use on September 26, 1981, at the age of 42.
Justice Reed has consistently denied Mary’s requests for discovery. In August, he once again rejected her efforts to force discovery of the “Estate Valuation Materials,” stating that the documents “clearly and unambiguously released” the president “from unknown claims, including fraud claims.”
Despite her appeal, Mary also sought permission to reargue her case. Reed denied this request in August. In October 2024, her lawyers informed the appellate court that leaving Reed’s rulings unchanged would result in significant prejudice, effectively blocking her from asserting one of her affirmative defenses.
The president’s legal team rebutted 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 maintained that Reed made the right decision by not enforcing production as her request was based on “a flawed legal theory.”
The origin of the family disagreement lies in Fred Trump Sr.’s will, which divided the majority of his estate equally among his surviving children, leaving each grandchild $200,000. Despite legal advice in 1981 to increase the shares for Fred Trump Jr.’s children after his death, Fred Sr. refused to modify the will.
Diagnosed with mild senile dementia in 1991 and later with Alzheimer’s disease, Fred Trump Sr. passed away in 1999. Mary Trump and her brother Fred Trump III challenged the will. They filed a lawsuit claiming that Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and Robert Trump exerted undue influence over their elderly grandfather.
In response to the lawsuit, Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and Robert Trump discontinued medical insurance for Mary and Fred III, including coverage for Fred III’s son William, who was diagnosed with epileptic spasms requiring lifelong care. The family had previously paid medical expenses through 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 real estate holdings. This settlement included a confidentiality clause, which is the basis of Donald Trump’s current lawsuit.
In September 2020, Mary Trump filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, Maryanne Trump Barry, and the estate of Robert Trump, claiming they defrauded her out of tens of millions of dollars relating to her share of the real estate holdings. In response, Donald Trump filed his countersuit in September 2021.
Having published three books examining her family, Mary Trump released “The Reckoning” in July 2021, and “Who Could Ever Love You” in October 2024 after “Too Much and Never Enough.” She also hosts a podcast and provides political commentary.
Oral arguments for Mary Trump’s appeal are scheduled for February 2026. At the trial court level, Reed established a series of deadlines last week, setting an August 2026 target date for confirming that discovery is complete and the case is prepared for trial.
Both parties agreed to finish depositions by April 9 and conclude expert discovery and all disclosures by June 2026. They plan to file a Note of Issue confirming the case is ready for trial by August 2026.
Trump’s opposition brief asserted that Mary Trump’s request for estate valuation materials was solely to support a fraudulent inducement theory that had been denied in previous litigation on several grounds. The brief stated that Reed correctly refused to enforce discovery that would only serve to reargue issues already resolved. Discovery disputes have delayed the case for months, hindering its progression to trial.
The New York Times investigation, which ignited 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 was based on over 100,000 pages of documents allegedly revealing Trump’s financial practices. Mary Trump’s provision of tax documents to the newspaper is central to Donald Trump’s breach of contract allegations against her.
