Markey Pushes Justice Department to Act on Former Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre’s Criminal Contempt Referral from the Senate

Letter Text (PDF)

Washington (September 19, 2025) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), today wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi expressing his frustration with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) inaction on the criminal contempt referral of Dr. Ralph de la Torre, former CEO of Steward Health Care. Nearly one year has passed since the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted to hold Dr. de la Torre in contempt for defying a subpoena and the full Senate unanimously voted to refer the matter to the DOJ for prosecution. Despite the seriousness of this referral, there has been no visible enforcement.

In the letter, the Senator Markey writes, "While frontline staff reused gloves and families mourned deaths tied to understaffing, Dr. de la Torre, Steward executives, private equity managers, and real estate investors extracted hundreds of millions of dollars and spent lavishly on yachts, private jets, and luxury properties. Hospitals deteriorated and closed while they enriched themselves."

Senator Markey continues, "After eight months without public action, I wrote on May 6, 2025. On September 2, 2025, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ted Schroeder confirmed the Department is aware of the referral. Yet there has been no prosecution and no indication the Department intends to act on Dr. de la Torre's failure to comply with a congressional subpoena. This inaction signals that powerful executives can evade accountability simply by ignoring congressional subpoenas."

Senator Markey concludes, "The families who lost loved ones, the workers who lost jobs and retirement funds, and the communities still reeling from hospital closures have not forgotten. Neither should the Department of Justice. I urge you to move swiftly on the Senate's criminal contempt referral."

Senator Markey has consistently advocated for transparency and accountability for private equity in health care amidst the Steward hospital crisis.

In September 2024, Senator Markey unveiled "The Steward Health Care Report: How Corporate Greed Hurt Patients, Health Workers, and Communities." The report spotlights patient and worker experiences, hospital quality data, and information on hospital closures in Massachusetts and around the country to document the devastating impacts of Steward's mismanagement.

In July 2024, Senator Markey spoke at a press conference after Steward announced the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer and Carney Hospital in Dorchester. Earlier in the month, Senator Markey was joined by fifteen bipartisan colleagues in voting to subpoena Dr. de la Torre to compel him to appear before the HELP Committee and answer for the business practices of Steward Health and the role private equity and real estate investment trusts played in its bankruptcy. This was the first time the HELP Committee had issued a subpoena since 1981. Dr.de la Torre refused to appear. The HELP Committee voted to hold him in contempt on September 19, 2024. On September 25, 2024, the Senate voted to hold Dr. de la Torre in civil and criminal contempt of Congress.

Amidst the Steward crisis, in July 2024, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) introduced the Health Over Wealth Act, legislation that would put safeguards in place to protect workers, patients, and health care quality, access, and safety; create stronger accountability measures for corporate greed; and close tax loopholes that benefit real estate investment trusts making money off of health care property.

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