Lawmakers say they might search to carry Steward Well being Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt of Congress if he would not seem at a listening to Thursday on Capitol Hill, senators from each events informed CBS Information.
“If somebody exhibits contempt for the folks of america by not coming to testify each to probably clear his identify, but in addition to offer them perception, then that may be a contemptible factor,” mentioned Sen. Invoice Cassidy of Louisiana, the rating Republican member of the Senate committee investigating Steward.
The corporate, which had owned greater than three dozen hospitals throughout eight states, declared chapter earlier this yr and has been struggling to search out consumers for its services. Final week, de la Torre’s legal professional wrote to the committee, saying his consumer would “not take part” within the listening to, asserting the testimony wanted to be postponed till after Steward’s chapter proceedings had been resolved.
The committee’s chairman, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, refused to postpone the listening to, the place lawmakers may also hear from well being care employees and native officers in communities impacted by Steward’s chapter.
For practically two years, a CBS Information investigation has documented how non-public fairness traders and de la Torre extracted a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} whereas well being care employees and sufferers struggled to get the life-saving provides they wanted. Final month, the corporate closed two Massachusetts hospitals, leaving about 1,200 employees jobless, in response to the state.
The choice to compel de la Torre’s testimony is extremely uncommon — the final subpoena issued by the committee occurred within the Nineteen Eighties. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, a member of the committee, mentioned he considers de la Torre to “a fugitive on the run,”
“If he would not present up, he is defying a authorized order that he seem,” Markey informed CBS Information. “Due to this fact he must be accountable and held in contempt,” including the committee will work on a bipartisan foundation to find out whether or not de la Torre would face felony or civil penalties for failing to look.
Along with congressional scrutiny, Steward is the topic of a felony probe by the Division of Justice. A federal grand jury in Boston is analyzing the compensation, spending and journey of the corporate’s prime executives, together with de la Torre, an individual conversant in the matter informed CBS Information.
By a spokesperson, de la Torre has denied wrongdoing.
Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe by way of Getty Photographs
“Dr. de la Torre did every thing in his energy to assist Steward Well being Care overcome quite a few business headwinds and challenges, together with personally buying crucial gear and provides in an effort to tackle the wants of sufferers and personally guaranteeing loans for the corporate together with his property,” the spokesperson mentioned in a press release.
Markey mentioned he is not shopping for that rationalization, and accused de la Torre, a former cardiac surgeon, of violating his Hippocratic oath.
“What Dr. de la Torre and personal fairness have perpetrated is one thing that’s so heartless, so merciless, and so dangerous to essentially the most weak folks in our society,” Markey mentioned.
Louisiana can also be dwelling to a Steward hospital, and Cassidy, who can also be a medical physician, mentioned he is been listening to disturbing tales from his constituents about provide shortages on the facility.
“It has been unable to pay its payments, and people are being turned away,” Cassidy mentioned. “We’re informed no less than one died awaiting switch. Now, take into consideration that. That does not sound like america of America.
Cassidy mentioned he’s dedicated to working throughout the aisle with Markey to handle among the monetary maneuvers that allowed Steward’s traders to revenue as affected person care suffered.
“Though he is a liberal Democrat and I am a conservative Republican, we’re united in how to ensure folks get the well being care they want,” he mentioned.
contributed to this report.
