Maryanne Trump Barry, retired federal appeals court judge and sister of ex-president, dies at 86

Barry was named to federal judgeships by Reagan and Clinton

By David Wildstein

Maryanne Trump Barry, a former senior judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the sister of former President Donald Trump, died today after a battle with cancer. She was 86.

Barry served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for New Jersey from 1974 to 1983, serving as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney and then First Assistant U.S. Attorney.

President Ronald Reagan nominated her to serve as a U.S. District Court judge in 1983. The other finalist at the time was Joseph Rodriguez, then the state’s Public Advocate and a federal judge since 1985.

The nomination caused a bit of a fight among New Jersey Republicans after Secretary of Labor Raymond Donovan, a New Jersey resident, asked Reagan to pick Rodriguez. But Roger Stone, a close ally of Donald Trump, convinced Gov. Thomas H. Kean to recommend Barry for the post. Stone had been the chief strategist of Kean’s 1981 primary and general election campaigns, enlisted help from Attorney General Irwin Kimmelman and GOP State Chairman Phil Kaltenbacher, who called the White House on Barry’s behalf. That led to Rodriguez removing his name from consideration.

Prior to Rep. Jim Courter (R-Allamuchy) entering the race, Stone pitched Barry on seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey in 1989.Maryanne Trump Barry, retired federal appeals court judge and sister of ex-president, dies at 86

Following the resignation of H. Lee Sarokin, President Bill Clinton nominated Barry to the federal appellate court in 1999. She was his second choice after the Senate never considered the nomination of Robert Raymar. Barry was living in New Jersey at the time and occupied one of the state’s four seats on the Third Circuit.

One year after becoming an appellate court judge, Barry wrote a majority opinion that struck down a New Jersey law banning late-term abortions.

In addition to her brother, Barry is survived by a son from her first marriage, David Desmond. Her husband, John Barry, a prominent New Jersey attorney, died in 2000.