Late owner’s wife sues for control of San Diego Padres

(CN) — The widow of deceased San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is suing two of his brothers for control of the team, accusing them of “egregious acts of self-dealing.”

In a complaint filed Monday in Travis County, Texas, Probate Court, Sheel Seidler claims that since her husband’s death, his brothers Matthew and Robert Seidler have abused their roles as executors of his estate and trustees of the Peter Seidler Trust, which owns a significant stake in the Padres. She accuses the brothers of using the trust’s assets for their own personal benefit and of conspiring to make a third brother, John, the control person for the Padres against Peter’s wishes. Sheel claims her husband had wanted her to take over as control person in the event of his death.

“Defendants have frozen Sheel out of the Padres organization and deprived her of the benefits of being the largest beneficial owner of the baseball team, while themselves enjoying those benefits,” Sheel says in the complaint.

Steel also accuses Robert’s wife Alecia of making “multiple racist, profane and hateful communications directed at Sheel — a woman of lndian descent.”

“Defendants’ actions to wrest control of the Padres were undertaken to force Sheel — a women, an interloper, and an Indian-American woman not of O’Malley descent — from what Bob and Matt saw as their family business and ancestral right,” Sheel says in the complaint.

Sheel is asking the court to remove Matthew from his position as the current trustee and to void any actions taken to appoint anyone other than herself or someone approved by her as control person for the Padres.

A spokesman for the Padres told Courthouse News Service that the team does not comment on pending litigation.

Peter Seidler, grandson of late Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, became the Padres’ principal owner and control person in 2020. Following his death in 2023 at age 63, the team appointed Eric Kutsenda, a minority owner, as interim control person.

The Padres announced Dec. 21 that John would become the new control person, a decision Sheel claims was made without her knowledge or input and is contrary to Peter’s desires. The lawsuit includes a picture of a hand-written document, purportedly made by Peter, listing her as his top choice to take over the team.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Peter Seidler Trust said Sheel’s allegations are “entirely without merit.”

“Peter had a clear estate plan. The plan specifically named three of his nine siblings, with whom he had worked closely for many decades, as successor trustees of his trust and Peter himself prohibited Sheel from ever serving as trustee,” the spokesperson said. “The trustee is exclusively responsible for designating the San Diego Padres’ next Control Person. In 2020, in connection with Peter’s appointment as Control Person, Sheel agreed in a sworn document that she had no right to be or to designate the Control Person and that she would not interfere with the designated Control Person. She also stated in May 2024 that John Seidler, Peter’s eldest brother, would be the best Control Person for the Padres. The Padres have already filed an application to Major League Baseball to appoint John.”

“A lifelong baseball fan, seasoned business executive and current minority owner, John has the right experience and shares Peter’s vision for the Padres: ensure there is a consistently competitive team on the field and a best-in-class fan experience, with the goal of bringing championship caliber baseball to San Diego,” the spokesperson added.