Senators to pursue contempt charges against health care system CEO

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Some of members of Congress will vote to bring contempt of Congress charges against a hospital system CEO who defied a subpoena to appear before them.

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions called Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre to appear before a hearing on Tuesday to learn more about his company’s bankruptcy.

“Today at our hearing, we had an empty chair, an empty chair that Doctor Ralph de la Torre, CEO of Steward Health Care, was under legal orders to fill. Ralph de la Torre is a coward,” said Sen. Ed Markey, (D-MA).

A report from the Office of Senator Markey said that the company “gutted” the finances of dozens of hospitals to maximize profit.

“Doctor de la Torre became obscenely wealthy by loading up hospitals from Massachusetts to Arizona with billions of dollars in debt and selling the land underneath these hospitals to real estate executives at Medical Properties Trust, who charged unsustainably high rents,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT), who is the chair of the Senate committee that was holding the hearing.

The committee plans to adopt two resolutions to hold de la Torre in contempt next week, the first coming out of the committee in four decades. If approved, then the resolutions will go before the full Senate for a vote.

“Since Ralph Dilatory has shown only contempt for our health care system, its patients and workers, the United States Senate must hold him in contempt,” said Markey.

According to the Associated Press, Dr. de la Torre’s lawyers wrote a letter that stated he needs to remain silent to respect the ongoing hospital reorganization and settlement effort and is also barred by a federal court from discussing anything during mediation.

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