Peter Angelos' Sons Involved in Lawsuit over Orioles Ownership, Possible Relocation
June 9, 2022
The two sons of longtime Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos are headed to court to decide the future of the franchise, as well as their father’s law firm and the family fortune.
According to Tim Prudente and Justin Fenton of the Baltimore Banner, Louis Angelos is suing his brother John and mother Georgia in Baltimore Circuit County Court. Louis contends that John seized controlling power for the Orioles despite their father's intention for the two of them to control the team equally.
Louis also insinuated that if John maintains control of the Orioles, he could look to move the team out of Baltimore.
"John intends to maintain absolute control over the Orioles—to manage, to sell, or, if he chooses, to move to Tennessee (where he has a home and where his wife's career is headquartered)—without having to answer to anyone," the lawsuit states.
After suffering a heart issue in 2017, Peter Angelos established a trust with his wife and two sons appointed as co-trustees. Louis Angelos' attorneys Jeffrey Nusinov and Paul Raschke released a statement explaining the goal of their client's lawsuit.
"The purpose of this lawsuit is simple," it read. "Peter Angelos created a trust for the express purpose of ensuring that his sons would share equally in decision-making and inheritance of all family assets, including the Orioles. John Angelos, however, has been working secretly to undermine his father’s intentions and to gain unilateral control. Lou Angelos is compelled to bring this action to set things right."
John Angelos was able to assume controlling power of the Orioles amid his father's declining health. In 2019, MLB inquired who was running the team and requested that a "control person" be identified.
Louis was working in a principal role in their father's law firm, and John "took a more prominent role in running the business" of the Baltimore franchise. In November 2020, John was approved as "control person" by other MLB owners.
The lawsuit states that Georgia had been trying to sell the team for quite some time, but John nixed a potential deal. Louis claims that John has been "openly displaying his disregard for his father’s prerogatives as the managing partner" of the team.