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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Former Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre sued 20 senators on September 30, 2024, after refusing to appear at a Senate hearing and facing contempt resolutions. He argued that the subpoena and the senators’ actions violated his constitutional rights. The courts dismissed his case under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, and the D.C. Circuit affirmed that dismissal on July 31, 2026.
Why the Senate subpoenaed de la Torre
Steward Health Care filed for bankruptcy in May 2024. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee investigated the bankruptcy and subpoenaed de la Torre, then Steward’s chairman and CEO, to testify at a September 2024 hearing. Committee leaders said they wanted to understand the financial decisions made during his leadership and consider legislation to prevent similar events from affecting patients and communities. Sanders and Cassidy’s statement
De la Torre did not attend. The D.C. Circuit’s account says the committee told him he could appear and invoke the Fifth Amendment in response to specific questions. That distinction mattered to the committee: it maintained that he could comply with the subpoena while asserting the privilege question by question. D.C. Circuit opinion
What the contempt votes did
On September 19, 2024, the HELP Committee voted 20–0 to adopt both civil and criminal contempt resolutions. They were different procedural tracks:
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- Civil contempt: The committee directed Senate Legal Counsel to bring an enforcement action seeking to compel compliance with the subpoena.
- Criminal contempt: The committee voted to refer the matter to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for possible prosecution.
On September 25, the full Senate unanimously adopted the criminal contempt resolution. The appellate opinion notes that the Senate floor vote was on the criminal resolution only; the committee’s civil resolution was not adopted by the full Senate. HELP Committee announcement D.C. Circuit opinion
What de la Torre’s lawsuit challenged
De la Torre filed suit on September 30, 2024, against the committee and 20 senators. He asked the court to invalidate the subpoena and contempt-related actions, arguing that they violated his constitutional rights, including his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. He also alleged that senators’ motives were improper. Case summary D.C. Circuit opinion
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Why the courts dismissed the case
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the lawsuit on September 16, 2025. On July 31, 2026, the D.C. Circuit affirmed. It concluded that the committee’s investigation into Steward’s bankruptcy fell within its oversight of health and public welfare, and that subpoenaing the company’s chief executive to understand its decline was a legitimate legislative inquiry. D.C. Circuit opinion
The appellate court held that the Speech or Debate Clause protected the legislative acts at issue, including the subpoena, committee activity, votes and presentation of the matter to the Senate. De la Torre’s Fifth Amendment argument and allegations about senators’ motives did not change the legislative nature of those acts. The court also affirmed the denial of his request for jurisdictional discovery. D.C. Circuit opinion
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The decision addressed whether de la Torre could maintain this civil lawsuit against the senators over their legislative conduct. It did not decide whether he committed a crime, and it does not establish whether the Justice Department prosecuted him after the referral.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the Justice Department referral
The latest located HELP Committee page says committee leaders requested an update from the Justice Department about the referral on August 7. The visible text does not identify the year or provide the Department’s response. On that information alone, it is not possible to say whether the referral led to a prosecution or was declined. HELP Committee update request
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