The embattled head of Steward Well being Care informed lawmakers he’s invoking his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination and won’t adjust to a congressional subpoena.
In a letter despatched Wednesday to the Senate Well being Schooling Labor and Pensions Committee and shared first with The Hill, the lawyer for Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre stated final week’s congressional listening to “was seemingly designed as a vehicle to violate Dr. de la Torre’s constitutional rights,” so he’s invoking his Fifth Modification proper to refuse any further requests to testify.
The letter was despatched a day earlier than the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is about to vote on contempt of Congress fees after de la Torre defied a subpoena and didn’t attend final Thursday’s Senate listening to.
The committee will vote Thursday to undertake two resolutions: One for civil enforcement and one other that may refer the matter to the U.S. Legal professional for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute de la Torre for failing to adjust to the subpoena.
If handed by the committee, each resolutions shall be superior to the complete Senate for a vote. Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanor, and it may result in fines or imprisonment.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Invoice Cassidy (R-La.) — the chair and rating member, respectively, of the Senate HELP Committee — stated de la Torre must reply questions on how Steward managed its hospitals, in addition to how he was capable of reap thousands and thousands of {dollars} even because the system was failing.
“We were hopeful that Dr. de la Torre would comply with our bipartisan subpoena and appear before the committee, to testify to the harm Steward has caused to patients, health care workers, and the communities in which they live,” Cassidy and Sanders stated in a joint assertion final week asserting the vote. “Unfortunately, he failed to appear.”
The senators in a joint assertion late Wednesday stated the Fifth Modification “does not permit a witness to refuse to appear when summoned to testify before a congressional committee. ”
Witnesses should present as much as the listening to in response to the subpoena and assert their rights in response to particular questions, they stated, and the committee will transfer ahead with the contempt vote.
“Patients have suffered. They deserve answers,” Sanders and Cassidy stated.
In Wednesday’s letter, de la Torre’s lawyer stated his shopper was being arrange as “a criminal scapegoat for the systemic failures in Massachusetts’ health care system,” and that the aim of the listening to “was not to gather facts … but instead a pseudo-criminal proceeding with the goal of convicting Dr. de la Torre in a court of public opinion.”
The HELP committee in July issued a subpoena to compel de la Torre to testify in regards to the failure of Steward Well being Care. The committee voted on a powerful bipartisan foundation, 16-4, to authorize the subpoena — the primary issued by the panel in a long time.
De la Torre final week informed the committee he wouldn’t take part within the listening to whereas Steward was nonetheless in the midst of chapter proceedings and requested for the listening to to be postponed.
Steward filed for chapter in Could and has been making an attempt to promote all 30 of its hospitals throughout eight states.
“If the Committee had any concern for the hospitals affected by Steward’s bankruptcy proceedings it would, consistent with Dr. de la Torre’s request to postpone the hearing for a more appropriate time, permit the bankruptcy resolution to move forward,” the letter said.
Up to date at 7:34 p.m. EDT
