Members of a Senate committee looking into the Steward Health Care bankruptcy said they plan to adopt two resolutions next week to hold Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt — one for civil enforcement and another for certification to the United States Attorney for criminal contempt — after he refused to attend a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday despite being issued a subpoena.
If approved, both resolutions will go to the full Senate for a vote.
The first resolution instructs the Senate legal counsel to bring a civil suit requiring de la Torre to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The criminal contempt resolution would refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to criminally prosecute de la Torre for failing to comply with the subpoena.