Sheel Seidler, the widow of beloved Padres owner Peter Seidler, has filed a lawsuit against two of her brothers-in-law seeking to become the control person for the franchise. Since Peter Seidler’s passing in late 2023, the franchise has been controlled by Seidler Trusts. In the lawsuit, filed Monday in Texas state probate court, Sheel Seidler claims Bob and Matt Seidler have committed “breaches of fiduciary duty and fraud,” and is asking them to be removed as trustees. She says, as the sole beneficiary of the Trusts, she wants to become the franchise’s control person. Sheel Seidler addressed Padres fans explaining her actions in a social media post on Monday: To @Padres fans, I want you to hear directly from me. Peter and I had a mission to bring championship baseball to San Diego. That remains my commitment to you. Read my full statement below. pic.twitter.com/YW605jZ0P8 — Sheel Seidler (@sheel_padres) January 6, 2025 In a statement to NBC 7, the Padres said “We do not comment on pending legal matters.” In the complaint, Sheel Seilder claims Matt and Bob Seidler have denied her and her children access to the owners box at Petco Park, was subjected to “… racist, profane, and hateful communications directed at Sheel – a woman of Indian descent – in communications on which Bob was copied” from Bob’s wife, Alecia Seidler. Sheel also alleges in the suit that Mat and Bob have attempted to sell assets from the trust to themselves at a substantial discount, then “unsold” them when confronted about their actions, saying the brothers are attempting to use the Seidler Trusts as a “piggy bank.” In mid-December John Seidler, 65, was tasked with taking over day-to-day control of the team’s operations. In the suit, Sheel Seidler says she asked to be named control person but was told by Matt that John would be the nominee. On this, Sheel Seidler says, “John has never worked for the Padres, spent most of his life as a civil engineer (aside from occasional seats on company boards that Peter would give him), has no ties to the San Diego community, and is far down on the list of Peter’s ranked choices for his successor.” John’s involvement is up for vote by Major League Baseball in the coming weeks but this lawsuit could change the timing on his pending confirmation. In Major League Baseball, a team’s “control person” has substantial power. Each franchise is required to have one, and that person has significant influence over the team’s business affairs, including the size of the payroll. MLB rules dictate a control person must possess at least a 15% ownership stake in the organization.