{"id":2340454,"date":"2024-09-12T22:02:53","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T02:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-to-hold-ceo-in-contempt-after-he-refused-subpoena\/"},"modified":"2024-09-12T22:11:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T02:11:47","slug":"senate-to-hold-ceo-in-contempt-after-he-refused-subpoena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-to-hold-ceo-in-contempt-after-he-refused-subpoena\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate to Hold CEO in Contempt After He Refused Subpoena"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-to-hold-ceo-in-contempt-after-he-refused-subpoena%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2340454&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Senate committee\u200c investigating the bankruptcy \u2063of Steward Health Care is planning to adopt\u200d resolutions to hold CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt for failing\u200c to comply with a subpoena to testify at a hearing. The committee\u2063 intends to pursue both civil and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-drivers-race-to-grab-cash-that-fell-out-of-armored-truck-on-california-freeway\/\" title=\"WATCH: Drivers Race to Grab Cash that Fell Out of Armored Truck on California Freeway\">potential criminal charges<\/a>\u2063 against him. Senator\u200c Bernie Sanders, the committee \u200cchair,\u2064 expressed disappointment at de la Torre&#8217;s \u2063refusal\u200d to testify, asserting that the CEO&#8217;s actions, part \u2062of a trend within private equity ownership\u200c of\u2062 hospitals, have led to significant harm in patient care. Steward Health Care, which has faced criticism for its management and resultant closures \u2064of several hospitals and services, defended de la Torre&#8217;s absence by claiming ongoing \u200blegal proceedings \u2064prevent him from discussing the bankruptcy. Testimonies from healthcare workers highlighted severe understaffing and operational deficiencies under Steward&#8217;s management\u200b that resulted in patient harm and death. Meanwhile, de \u200cla Torre has\u2063 reportedly accumulated significant wealth amid the company&#8217;s financial struggles.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> <script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>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 &mdash; one for civil enforcement and another for certification to the United States Attorney for criminal contempt &mdash; after he refused to attend a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday despite being issued a subpoena.<\/p>\n<p>If approved, both resolutions will go to the full <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/marine-veteran-wins-senate-primary-vows-retire-elizabeth-warren\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Senate<\/a> for a vote.<\/p>\n<p>The first resolution instructs the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/nba-player-turned-maga-senate-candidate-scores-election-victory-establishment-favorite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Senate<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-first-vaccines-rolling-out-of-michigan-plant-headed-directly-for-american-hospitals\/\" title=\"America First: Vaccines Rolling Out of Michigan Plant, Headed Directly for American Hospitals\">health care workers<\/a>, and the communities in which they live,&rdquo; said Vermont U.S. Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/bernie-sanders-take-shot-kamala-harris-senator-drops-bomb-democrats-stunning-dnc-moment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bernie Sanders<\/a>, the committee&rsquo;s chair.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Unfortunately, we have no choice but to move forward and pursue both civil enforcement of the subpoena and criminal charges against Dr. de la Torre,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>In a written statement, Steward defended de la Torre&rsquo;s decision not to attend the hearing and to again ask that it be rescheduled, saying that not only is it inappropriate for him to testify about Steward&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/high-inflation-forces-big-lots-file-bankruptcy-fate-1400-stores-uncertain\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bankruptcy<\/a> while those proceedings are ongoing but that he&rsquo;s also banned by a federal court from doing so.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Committee continues to ignore the fact that there is an ongoing settlement effort underway with all interested parties that paves the way to keep all of Steward&rsquo;s remaining hospitals open and preserve jobs,&rdquo; the statement said. &ldquo;Dr. de la Torre will not do anything that could jeopardize this effort.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sanders said de la Torre and his Texas-based Steward, which operated about 30 hospitals nationwide and filed for bankruptcy in May, is a prime example what happens when private equity investors purchase hospitals, strip their assets and saddle them with debt they can never pay back.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Dr. de la Torre became obscenely wealthy by loading up hospitals from Massachusetts to Arizona with billions of dollars in debt and selling the land underneath these hospitals to real estate executives,&rdquo; Sanders said.<\/p>\n<p>Steward has been working to sell its more than a half-dozen hospitals in Massachusetts but received inadequate bids for two other hospitals &mdash; Carney Hospital in Boston and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in the town of Ayer &mdash; both of which have closed as a result.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ford-wants-its-cars-back-from-the-nra\/\" title=\"Ford Wants Its Cars Back From the NRA\u00a0\">federal bankruptcy court<\/a> last week approved the sale of Steward&rsquo;s other Massachusetts hospitals.<\/p>\n<p>Steward has also shut down pediatric wards in Massachusetts and Louisiana, closed neonatal units in Florida and Texas, and eliminated maternity services at a hospital in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, de la Torre has reaped hundreds of millions of dollars personally and bought a $40 million yacht and a $15 million luxury fishing boat, Sanders said.<\/p>\n<p>Ellen MacInnis, a nurse at St. Elizabeth&rsquo;s Medical Center in Boston, testified at the hearing that under Steward management, patients were subjected to preventable harm and even death, particularly in understaffed emergency departments.<\/p>\n<p>One 81-year-old man who came in for chemotherapy for his pancreatic cancer died before staff could get to him, according to MacInnis, who said there were 95 patients in the emergency department on that shift but only 11 nurses.<\/p>\n<p>She said there were other nights when emergency room staff didn&rsquo;t have Similac, Pedialyte or even diapers and were forced to run out to a 24-hour store to get supplies. She also said there was a time when Steward failed to pay a vendor who supplied bereavement boxes for the remains of newborn babies who had died and had to be transported to the morgue.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Nurses were forced to put babies&rsquo; remains in cardboard shipping boxes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;These nurses put their own money together and went to Amazon and bought the bereavement boxes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>MacInnis also pointed to the death of a 39-year-old woman who had a normal childbirth but was bleeding and might have been saved by a device called an embolization coil, but there hadn&rsquo;t been any in the hospital because they had been repossessed by the vendor.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Members of a Senate committee investigating the Steward Health Care bankruptcy announced their intention to pass two resolutions next week aimed at holding CEO Ralph de la Torre in contempt. This decision comes after he failed to appear at a U.S. Senate hearing on Thursday, despite being subpoenaed. If these resolutions are approved, they will be presented to the full Senate for a vote. The first resolution would authorize the Senate&#8217;s legal counsel to file a civil lawsuit compelling de la Torre to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The second resolution seeks to refer the case to the U.S. Attorney for criminal prosecution due to his noncompliance with the subpoena.<\/p>\n<p>Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who chairs the committee, expressed disappointment that de la Torre did not comply with their bipartisan subpoena and testify about Steward&#8217;s impact on patients and healthcare workers. He stated that pursuing both civil enforcement and criminal charges against de la Torre is now necessary.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Steward defended de la Torre\u2019s absence from the hearing by stating it was inappropriate for him to discuss ongoing bankruptcy proceedings and noted that he is prohibited by federal court from doing so. They emphasized that there is an active settlement process involving all parties aimed at keeping Steward\u2019s hospitals operational and preserving jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Sanders criticized private equity investors like those behind Steward for acquiring hospitals only to burden them with unsustainable debt while profiting immensely\u2014citing how de la Torre has amassed significant wealth through such practices.<\/p>\n<p>Steward has been attempting to sell several of its Massachusetts hospitals but has received insufficient offers for two facilities which have since closed down as a result of financial struggles stemming from their bankruptcy filing in May. Additionally, they have shut down pediatric wards in multiple states and eliminated maternity services at one hospital in Florida.<\/p>\n<p>During the hearing, nurse Ellen MacInnis testified about serious issues under Steward&#8217;s management leading to preventable patient harm and even fatalities due to understaffing in emergency departments. She recounted distressing incidents where patients suffered because essential supplies were unavailable or where deceased infants were improperly handled due lack of resources provided by Steward.<\/p>\n<p>The Western Journal reviewed this Associated Press report which may have been modified prior publication according editorial standards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2340455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d97a3103474746d0a7cda3059ccc2502-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[3850,7074,3740],"class_list":["post-2340454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ceo","tag-contempt","tag-senate"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/d97a3103474746d0a7cda3059ccc2502-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2340454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2340454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2340454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2340454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}