Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions sent a letter Aug. 6 to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche seeking an update on the criminal contempt referral against former Dallas-based Steward Health Care Chairman and CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD.
The letter, from Committee Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La., and ranking member Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., requested an update by Aug. 20 on the status of their case and actions taken by the attorney general against Dr. de la Torre.
Following Steward’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May 2024, the committee launched an investigation into the health system’s financial mismanagement.
Dr. de la Torre was invited to appear before the committee, but declined the invitation. The committee voted July 25, 2024 to subpoena him to appear at a Sept. 12, 2024 hearing, where he again declined to appear in defiance of the subpoena.
In late September 2024, the committee voted 20-0 to hold Dr. de la Torre on a criminal contempt resolution. The full Senate unanimously adopted a resolution referring the case to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia for presentation to a grand jury.
Dr. de la Torre responded Sept. 30 and sued the committee and its members, alleging unconstitutional punishment after he invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not testify. He then “amicably separated” from the system in October 2024 after facing backlash over his lavish lifestyle while the system and the 31 hospitals it owned at the time struggled to stay afloat.
“The committee launched an investigation into how this bankruptcy hurt patients, workers and communities, and how corporate greed exacerbated these issues,” the letter said. “We needed answers from Dr. de la Torre, as did the healthcare workers forced to treat patients in dangerous conditions, loved ones of patients who died, and communities who saw their local hospitals close or face severe financial distress. Dr. de la Torre’s wealth should not make him immune to requests from Congress, especially as communities continue to grapple with the consequences of Dr. de la Torre’s greed.”
Becker’s has reached out to Dr. de la Torre for comment and will update this story should more information become available.
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