US appeals court rejects de la Torre lawsuit against Senate committee over subpoena and contempt ->Mezha | More info at BigEarthData.ai
US appeals court rejects de la Torre lawsuit against Senate committee over subpoena and contemptOn July 31, a federal appellate court in the United States ruled that the former chief executive officer of Steward Health Care cannot sue the members of the Senate committee for the subpoena to testify in 2024 and for his criminal contempt after failing to appear. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit left in place the ruling dismissing the suit filed by Ralph de la Torre a few days after the Senate unanimously in September 2024 found him in contempt for his failure to appear at a hearing. De la Torre sued nearly all the members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, arguing that his subpoena to testify during the hearings was unconstitutional because he invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify. Dr. de la Torre contends that the Speech or Debate Clause does not bar this suit. – Patricia Millett According to Judge Patricia Millett, his arguments were unfounded, and the claims could not overcome the constitutional immunity of lawmakers for actions in Congress. In short, invoking the words “Fifth Amendment” in response to a lawful subpoena is not the magic card Dr. de la...mezha.net