Senate holds rich CEO of “third-world medicine” hospitals in contempt

Enlarge / Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaks about Ralph De La Torre’s spending habits during the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions on September 12, 2024. (credit: Getty | Kayla Bartkowski)

The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to hold Ralph de la Torre—the wealthy CEO of a now-bankrupt Steward hospital chain—in contempt for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.

With the vote, the case is referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution for contempt of Congress, which would have de la Torre facing a fine of up to $100,000 and a prison sentence of up to 12 months if convicted.

The subpoena de la Torre rejected was a rare one issued in July by the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). The HELP committee, chaired by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), aimed to compel de la Torre to testify on allegations that while he and other executives reaped millions from the hospital system, individual facilities were put under such dire financial strain that health care workers were forced to practice “third-world medicine,” and outsiders described Steward leadership as “healthcare terrorists.”