HOUSTON, Dec. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a case that will resonate with countless elderly Americans and their families, a new ad campaign was launched today to shine a spotlight on trustee abuse in America.
Jeane Marie Swalm, a 91-year-old grandmother, put her life savings in a Trust to provide for her care and leave an inheritance for her grandchildren. Now, her family is seeking justice in court to prevent her corporate trustee from depleting her Trust to pay for its own lawyers.
“Mrs. Swalm put her faith in a company called Houston Trust Company to manage her finances,” said Joe Cox, the family attorney for Mrs. Swalm’s son, David. “Unfortunately, they broke that trust.”
“For over two years, HTC resisted repeated requests to turn over basic accounting records documenting hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses — information that Mrs. Swalm’s son was legally entitled to receive as a vested beneficiary of the Trust,” Cox explained. “HTC’s stonewalling forced Mrs. Swalm’s son to take them to court for the information, and that effort has now dragged on for another two years. Shockingly, HTC has been using Mrs. Swalm’s own funds to pay its lawyers to resist turning over the information, draining hundreds of thousands of dollars from her Trust.”
“Mr. Swalm’s goal is to protect his mom and ensure her daily care is provided for the rest of her days by restoring the trust that was violated by HTC,” Cox said.
Through both a new website, www.Justice4Jeane.com, and a digital ad campaign distributed through social media, native internet ads, and connected TV, Jeane Marie’s family is shining a spotlight on HTC’s actions as a warning to other families who want to ensure that their loved ones and their assets are protected.
REF: Swalm v. Houston Trust Company, Case no. 2025-29918
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c957082-bd58-4081-ab1e-2733cc6dc86b
A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b69d41f-af63-40cb-9407-0e31cf8f6115