Senators Press DOJ to Act on Steward CEO Contempt Case

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions are demanding answers from the Justice Department on the stalled contempt case against former Steward Health Care Chairman and CEO Ralph de la Torre, MD. In an Aug. 6 letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, committee leaders including Chairman Bill Cassidy, MD, R-La., sought an update on the criminal contempt referral, according to Becker's Hospital Review.

De la Torre was held in contempt by the Senate after he refused to appear for a subpoenaed hearing on the financial collapse of Steward, once one of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the country. The company's bankruptcy shuttered facilities and disrupted care across multiple states.

The letter keeps pressure on the DOJ to pursue accountability and reflects lawmakers' broader focus on private equity's role in hospital finances. How the department responds could set a precedent for whether Congress can enforce its subpoenas against powerful healthcare executives.