Long Island’s Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) Chairman Matthew Bruderman’s residence was broken into on Wednesday night, and the thief specifically targeted confidential documents related to an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Despite not taking any cash or valuables, the thief made off with a folder labeled as “sensitive information” containing documents regarding the NUMC financial corruption investigation. Just hours later, Bruderman was suddenly dismissed by the Nassau County government, sparking widespread controversy.
According to the New York Post, the thief broke into Bruderman’s home in Oyster Bay in the early hours of the morning, only taking a folder marked as “sensitive information” containing documents related to the NUMC financial corruption investigation. Shortly after, the police found this folder in a car driven by an unidentified couple, and informed Bruderman, who then discovered the break-in at his home.
Bruderman stated that he was cooperating with the FBI to expose the state and former county government’s fraudulent activities using NUMC to fraudulently obtain billions in federal funds since 2006. He suspected that this burglary was a targeted political suppression, intended to disrupt the investigation.
Bruderman revealed that shortly after reports of the break-in at his home emerged, County Executive Bruce Blakeman requested his resignation, threatening to remove him from his position if he did not comply. Bruderman bluntly stated that he was told if he did not voluntarily resign today, he would be fired, “because I exposed corruption.”
Blakeman refused to elaborate on the reasons for Bruderman’s dismissal, only thanking Bruderman for his contributions in a statement and promptly appointing Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman as the new Chair of the NUMC board.
NUMC is a public hospital in the Long Island area of New York State that has long faced financial issues. When Bruderman took office, the hospital had a deficit of nearly $200 million, but this year is expected to achieve a surplus of about $11 million. During his tenure as Chairman of the board, Bruderman has repeatedly called for financial audits of the hospital, pointing out mismanagement and potential corrupt behavior. He also stated that he had provided evidence to the FBI regarding the hospital’s financial misconduct.
Some observers believe that Bruderman’s dismissal may hinder investigations into potential corrupt activities at the hospital. Currently, the FBI has not issued a public statement on the matter, and the Governor’s Office has not responded to Bruderman’s allegations.