Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders mentioned Wednesday he’s ready to pursue contempt prices in opposition to Steward Well being Care CEO Ralph de la Torre if he fails to indicate up at a listening to Thursday regardless of being issued a subpoena.
Sanders mentioned de la Torre must reply to the American individuals about how he was capable of reap lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} whereas Steward Well being Care, which operated about 30 hospitals nationwide, needed to file for chapter in Might.
“This is something that is not going to go away,” Sanders instructed The Related Press. “We will pursue this doggedly.”
Steward has been working to promote its greater than a half-dozen hospitals in Massachusetts, however acquired insufficient bids for 2 different hospitals — Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Middle within the city of Ayer — each of which have closed consequently. A federal chapter court docket final week permitted the sale of Steward’s different Massachusetts hospitals.
“He has decided not to show up because he doesn’t want to explain to the American people how horrific his greed has become,” Sanders mentioned. “Tell me about your yacht. Tell me about your fishing boat. I want to hear your justification for that. Tell that to the community where staff was laid off while you made $250 million.”
Sanders mentioned that to carry de la Torre in contempt would require a vote by the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions Committee, which he chairs, or — relying on what motion they take — a vote of the complete Senate.
Legal professionals de la Torre have mentioned that he gained’t testify earlier than the committee investigating the Dallas-based hospital firm as a result of a federal court docket order prohibits him from discussing something throughout an ongoing reorganization and settlement effort.
Sanders mentioned there are many questions de la Torre might nonetheless handle.
Legal professionals for de la Torre additionally accused the committee of looking for to show the listening to into “a pseudo-criminal proceeding in which they use the time, not to gather facts, but to convict Dr. de la Torre in the eyes of public opinion.”
“It is not within this Committee’s purview to make predeterminations of alleged criminal misconduct under the auspices of an examination into Steward’s bankruptcy proceedings, and the fact that its Members have already done so smacks of a veiled attempt to sidestep Dr. de la Torre’s constitutional rights,” the legal professionals mentioned in a letter to Sanders final week.
De la Torre hasn’t dominated out testifying earlier than the committee at a later date — a suggestion Sanders described as “100% a delaying tactic.”
Sanders additionally mentioned the committee has acquired no indication that de la Torre will change his thoughts and attend Thursday’s listening to, which may even embody testimony from nurses who labored at two of the hospitals owned by Steward in Massachusetts.
“You have a guy becoming fabulously wealthy while bankrupting hospitals and denying low income and middle income folks the health care they so desperately need,” Sanders mentioned. He mentioned that greater than a dozen sufferers have died in Steward hospitals on account of insufficient staffing or shortages of medical gear.
“When a hospital shuts down in a community, especially a low-income community, it’s a disaster. Where do people go? Where’s the nearest emergency room?” Sanders added.
The committee’s choices embody holding de la Torre in felony contempt, which might lead to a trial and jail time; or civil contempt, which might lead to fines till he seems. Each would require a Senate vote.
De la Torre additionally refused invites to testify at a Boston subject listening to earlier this yr chaired by Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts and likewise a member of the committee.
