HELP Committee will vote Thursday on Contempt Resolutions for civil enforcement and criminal contempt.
September 17, 2024 – Susan Morse, Executive Editor –
The Senate Help, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee is scheduled to meet in an executive session on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET on a Contempt Resolution against Steward Health CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre.
HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Ranking Member Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) last week announced that, due to de la Torre’s failure to comply with the committee’s subpoena to appear on Sept. 12, members would vote to adopt two resolutions: one for civil enforcement and another for certification to the United States Attorney for criminal contempt.
The committee is expected to direct the Senate Legal Counsel to bring a civil action to enforce a subpoena and to authorize the president of the Senate to certify a committee report on the refusal of de la Torre to appear to testify.
If passed by the committee, both resolutions would advance to the full Senate for a vote.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Before de la Torre’s scheduled appearance, his attorney Alexander Merton, a partner at Quinn Emanuel, sent a letter to the committee saying it would be inappropriate for his client to appear while bankruptcy proceedings were ongoing. He suggested the hearing be rescheduled.
