{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-cassidy-sanders-request-update-from-justice-department-on-contempt-charges-for-former-hospital-ceo/", "NEWS: Cassidy, Sanders Request Update from Justice Department on Contempt Charges for Former Hospital CEO", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Independent", "Senate", "VT", "Bernard Sanders", "S000033", "www.sanders.senate.gov", "sanders", "https://www.sanders.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 \u2013 Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member, sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche requesting information on the status of the contempt referral for Dr. Ralph de la Torre, former Chairman and CEO of Steward Health Care, which was unanimously adopted by the Senate on September 25, 2024.\n\nSteward previously operated 31 hospitals in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. On May 6, 2024, Steward Health Care declared bankruptcy, representing the largest for-profit hospital bankruptcy in United States history.\n\n\u201cThe bankruptcy represented a culmination of financial mismanagement and self-interested incentives by Dr. de la Torre and corporate executives in health care, private equity, and real estate. The resulting harm included termination of health care workers, patient deaths, and multiple hospital closures resulting in lack of access to care,\u201d Cassidy and Sanders wrote.\n\nIn response to the bankruptcy, the HELP Committee initiated an investigation into Steward\u2019s financial mismanagement and invited Dr. de la Torre to appear at a hearing on September 12, 2024. Dr. de la Torre declined the invitation. The Committee then voted to authorize a subpoena requiring de la Torre to appear on September 12, 2025. Dr. de la Torre failed to appear. In response, the Committee voted 20-0 on a criminal contempt resolution. This was the first time in modern American history that the HELP Committee issued a criminal contempt resolution.\n\n\u201cWe needed answers from Dr. de la Torre, as did the health care workers forced to treat patients in dangerous conditions, loved ones of patients who died, and communities who saw their local hospitals close or face severe financial distress. Dr. de la Torre\u2019s wealth should not make him immune to requests from Congress, especially as communities continue to grapple with the consequences of Dr. de la Torre\u2019s greed,\u201d the HELP Committee leaders continued.\n\nFollowing the Committee action, the Senate then unanimously adopted the Committee\u2019s criminal contempt resolution, which certified the HELP Committee Report regarding Dr. de la Torre\u2019s failure to appear to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia to present to a grand jury.\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has not yet acted on this important effort to hold Dr. De la Torre criminally accountable for his actions. We request an update on the status of this case and the actions taken by the U.S. Attorney by August 20, 2026,\u201d Cassidy and Sanders concluded.", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-cassidy-sanders-request-update-from-justice-department-on-contempt-charges-for-former-hospital-ceo/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.388999167829752, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}