Whistleblower tells Congress Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre bragged he could sway foreign officials with "brown bags" of cash
CBSN
A whistleblower has come forward to Congress alleging Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre and other Steward executives illegally conspired with foreign officials to secure a hospital contract abroad, CBS News has learned.
"In touting Steward's supposed competitive advantage in Malta… de la Torre boasted that he could issue 'brown bags' to government officials if necessary to close transactions," Ram Tumuluri, a health care executive who worked with the Maltese government, wrote in a complaint to Congress, shared with CBS News.
In the submission, which was sent to a U.S. Senate committee investigating the hospital company's collapse, Tumuluri describes a 2017 meeting involving the Steward CEO and alleges de la Torre was "insinuating he would bribe officials of the Government of Malta." A committee staffer confirmed receipt of the complaint and said they are reviewing it.
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