WASHINGTON - A U.S. Senate committee voted unanimously on Thursday to take steps to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in civil and criminal contempt for defying a Congressional subpoena. The committee is investigating the bankrupt company that has struggled to sell more than three dozen hospitals that it owns in eight states. Last month, Steward closed two Massachusetts hospitals after it said it could not find qualified bidders for the facilities. The is the first time the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has ever recommended contempt action against a witness. The resolutions to hold de la Torre in contempt passed 20-0 and will now go before the full Senate for consideration. If held in contempt, de la Torre could face fines or jail time for failing to testify. De la Torre did not show up to testify to a Sept. 12 hearing where he was subpoenaed to testify. Attorneys for de la Torre sent a letter to the Senate committee Wednesday, saying that he was invoking his Fifth Amendment right to not testify. He has denied any wrongdoing and a spokesperson said the hearings should be postponed until Steward is finished with bankruptcy proceedings. A federal grand jury in Boston is looking at the pay, spending and travel of de la Torre and other top company executives.
