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.

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.

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.

The Senate voted last week to hold Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt for declining to testify.

Ralph de la Torre, who may now face prison time, is the first person in more than 50 years to be held in criminal contempt by the Senate, lawmakers said.

A spokesperson said the health executive is disappointed that lawmakers decided “to continue their violations of Dr. de la Torre’s constitutional rights."

The U.S. Senate has approved a resolution intended to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt for failing to testify before a Senate panel

The U.S. Senate voted to hold Steward Health Care CEO Ralph de la Torre in criminal contempt of Congress on Wednesday after the executive refused to testify about cost-cutting decisions at the company's 31 hospitals before it filed for bankruptcy.