Steward Health Care files a lawsuit against a US Senate panel over contempt resolution

BOSTON -- Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre filed a suit Monday against a U.S. Senate committee that pursued contempt charges against him for failing to look earlier the sheet contempt being issued a subpoena.

The lawsuit, filed successful national tribunal successful Washington, named astir each members of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, who chairs the committee which has investigated Steward’s bankruptcy.

The suit claims that the lawmakers are unlawfully violating de la Torre's law rights.

It alleges that the members of the committee, by trying to compel de la Torre to reply questions about Steward's bankruptcy, are “collectively undertaking a concerted effort to punish Dr. de la Torre for invoking his Fifth Amendment close not to ‘be compelled . . . to beryllium a witnesser against himself.’”

De la Torre is asking the tribunal to state that each actions related to enforcement of the subpoena are invalid and unconstitutional — including the ballot of the committee connected Sept. 19 approving the transgression contempt solution and its determination to contiguous the solution to the afloat Senate for a vote.

The Senate approved the solution past week.

“No 1 tin beryllium compelled to attest erstwhile they workout this close nether these circumstances. Nor does the Constitution licence Congress to punish and intimidate him, oregon immoderate different American, for exercising these rights,” William “Bill” Burck, a lawyer for de la Torre, said successful a written statement.

The suit comes a time earlier de la Torre is acceptable to step down arsenic CEO of Steward.

De la Torre has overseen Steward's web of immoderate 30 hospitals astir the country. The Texas-based company’s troubled caller history has drawn scrutiny from elected officials successful New England, wherever immoderate of its hospitals are located.

A spokesperson for de la Torre said Saturday that helium “has amicably separated from Steward connected mutually agreeable terms” and “will proceed to beryllium a tireless advocator for the betterment of reimbursement rates for the underprivileged diligent population.”

Sanders said earlier this period that Congress “will hold Dr. de la Torre accountable for his greed and for the harm helium has caused to hospitals and patients passim America.”

Steward has unopen down pediatric wards successful Massachusetts and Louisiana, closed neonatal units successful Florida and Texas, and eliminated maternity services astatine a infirmary successful Florida.

Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts said that implicit the past decade, Steward, led by de la Torre, and its firm enablers, “looted hospitals crossed the state for profit, and got affluent done their greedy schemes.”

Alexander Merton, an lawyer for de la Torre, has said the responsibility alternatively lies with “the systemic failures successful Massachusetts’ wellness attraction system” and that the committee was trying to framework de la Torre arsenic a transgression scapegoat. Merton has besides said that de la Torre would hold to attest astatine a aboriginal date.

On Friday, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced her medication had formally seized a infirmary done eminent domain to assistance support it unfastened and modulation to a caller owner. St. Elizabeth Medical Center successful Boston was 1 of a radical tally by Steward. Operations volition beryllium transferred to Boston Medical Center.

Two different Steward-operated hospitals successful Massachusetts were forced to adjacent aft qualified buyers could not beryllium recovered during the bankruptcy process.