More than a dozen Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate agreed Thursday that Congress should hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt for ignoring a subpoena and refusing to testify about the financial crisis at the massive health care system he oversees.
The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted 20-0 on one civil and one criminal contempt resolution.
Committee chair Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, said members had “no choice” but to pursue contempt votes after de la Torre’s repeated refusal to appear before the panel to answer questions about Steward’s collapse and its effect on patients.
“Dr. de la Torre is not above the law. If you defy a congressional subpoena, you will be held accountable, no matter who you are,” Sanders said.
Ranking Republican member Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana added that de la Torre’s testimony would be “essential” to understanding how Steward’s hospitals failed.
Through an attorney, de la Torre on Wednesday signaled he planned to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights and slammed the committee’s work as designed to “frame Dr. de la Torre as a criminal scapegoat for the systemic failures in Massachusetts’ health care system.” He has also argued that he’s unable to speak publicly while bankruptcy proceedings continue.
One resolution the committee adopted Thursday calls on Senate Legal Counsel to file a civil suit seeking to force de la Torre’s participation. The other would refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for criminal prosecution over de la Torre’s failure to comply with the subpoena.
Both resolutions will advance to the full Senate for consideration.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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