De la Torre is asking the court to declare that all actions related to enforcement of the subpoena are invalid and unconstitutional — including the vote of the committee on Sept. 19 approving the criminal contempt resolution and its decision to present the resolution to the full Senate for a vote.

The suit, filed Monday in federal court, claims that the lawmakers are violating the hospital executive's constitutional rights.

Steward Health Care's Ralph de la Torre, who is stepping down as the bankrupt private hospital network's chief executive, on Monday sued a U.S. Senate committee which has voted to hold him in contempt for refusing to testify about Steward's financial troubles.

Ralph de la Torre, the embattled chief executive officer of the bankrupt Steward Health Care System, sued a US Senate committee that subpoenaed him to testify about his role in the hospital chain’s financial collapse.

BOSTON (AP) — Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre filed a lawsuit Monday against a U.S. Senate committee that pursued contempt charges against him for failing to appear before the panel despite being issued a subpoena.

Ralph de la Torre, the embattled chief executive officer of the bankrupt Steward Health Care System, sued a US Senate committee that subpoenaed him to testify about his role in the hospital chain’s financial collapse.

The soon-to-be former CEO of now-bankrupt Steward Health Care is responding to a criminal contempt referral authorized by the U.S. Senate with a lawsuit against the members of the congressional committee behind the underlying contempt resolutions.