After California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra raised objections Wednesday to the proposed sale of a closed Los Angeles hospital, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said he would seek to purchase the medical campus personally rather than use a foundation controlled by him and his wife, Michele B. Chan.
Becerra also raised the possibility of “self-dealing” if the sale goes through, because Soon-Shiong’s foundation has proposed buying the hospital while a separate Soon-Shiong-controlled company is one of the secured creditors in Verity’s bankruptcy proceedings.Soon-Shiong, who also owns The Times, said in an interview last week that the goal is to create a “central command” center that would attract doctors and experts on the coronavirus and relieve pressure on other hospitals.
“These facts may not present a problem under bankruptcy law, but, barring some resolution, and subject to review by the Attorney General, they appear to present a problem for the foundation under California laws governing nonprofit public benefit corporations,” the filing said.