(Legislators Seth Koslow and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton call for federal, state and local investigations into NUMC finances and former employees)
MINEOLA, NY (July 29, 2025) – Nassau County Democratic legislators announced they have formally referred allegations of lavish spending and improper payouts by former Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) executives appointed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman to local, state, and federal prosecutors for investigation.
The move follows reports detailing thousands of dollars in luxury dining, hotel, and travel reimbursements by top NUMC officials as the safety-net hospital sank under $1.4 billion in debt. The report also comes weeks after interim NUMC leadership accused former CEO Megan Ryan of authorizing $3.5 million in improper severance payments, including at least $1 million in excess of hospital policy.
“NUMC exists to save lives – not bankroll lobster dinners and luxury perks for politically connected insiders,” said Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove). “This pattern of abuse is a betrayal of public trust, and we are taking the next step to ensure full accountability.”
In three certified correspondences sent Tuesday to the offices of Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, the Minority Caucus requested a thorough investigation into:
- Lavish and questionable spending by former NUMC executives;
- Allegations of $3.5 million in improper exit payouts, including $1 million beyond hospital policy;
- The unexplained theft and recovery of sensitive NUMC documents from former Board Chairman Matthew Bruderman’s home shortly before his abrupt firing.
“This hospital serves nearly 300,000 residents a year,” said Legislator Seth Koslow (D–East Meadow). “Every dollar blown on perks and improper payouts is a dollar stolen from patient care. Nassau families deserve to know if money meant to save lives was funding lobster dinners instead. We need full accountability, and law enforcement must follow the facts wherever they lead.”
The legislators said this latest revelation adds to a troubling pattern under the hospital’s prior leadership, which included repeated conflicts with state oversight officials, mass resignations of top staff, and financial mismanagement that led to a projected $144 million operating loss in 2024.
“We will keep fighting for transparency and accountability at NUMC because the residents of Nassau County, and the patients who rely on this hospital, deserve nothing less,” DeRiggi-Whitton said.
These actions build on a series of steps legislators have already taken to demand accountability at the county’s safety‑net hospital.
In June, the Minority Caucus called for an immediate FBI investigation following a suspicious break‑in at the Centre Island home of then‑NUMC Board Chair Matthew Bruderman. The only reported item taken was a binder of sensitive hospital documents tied to a federal probe. The binder was recovered the same day, and Bruderman was abruptly fired by the Blakeman administration that night.
At that time, Democratic lawmakers sent a formal complaint to Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, citing a series of events that they said “raised serious questions” about possible false claims to law enforcement and required urgent federal scrutiny. Legislators emphasized that these developments did not occur in isolation, but were the culmination of more than a year of warnings about County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s politicization of NUMC, including the appointment of unqualified political allies to key positions.’’
“From day one, we’ve been sounding the alarm,” said Legislator Arnold Drucker. “The lavish spending exposed this week is just the latest chapter in a long, troubling story of political games and public betrayal at our safety‑net hospital.”