NASSAU COUNTY, NY - On Wednesday night, April 23rd, the home of Nassau University Medical Center's (NUMC) chairman was robbed with the thieves only stealing documents tied to a large FBI probe.
According to the New York Post, Chairman Matthew Bruderman confirmed that his house in Oyster Bay was broken into just two weeks after news broke that he was "cooperating" with the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) in an investigation of his claims that the hospital was robbed by state and previous county leaders of more than $1 billion since 2006.
The stolen documents have since been recovered by Center Island police, who confirmed that an active investigation into the burglary us underway. Bruderman was not home at the time of the burglary and only found out after police called to inform him that they had recovered a binder with his name on it in a car driven by an unidentified couple. He said, "I was confused because that was the binder I had on my desk when I left."
Bruderman said he later found is backdoor pried open. He said that the binder contained "sensitive" materials related to the ongoing federal investigation, including documents and records tied to the financial misconduct he claims to have uncovered while reviewing hospital finances and state reimbursements.
The chairman believes that the timing of the break-in along with the fact that nothing else appeared to have been stolen besides the documents, is cause for concern. The investigation into the hospital was opened in early April. Bruderman said he has been combing through the hospital's financial records and reimbursement filings since his 2022 appointment.
He claims to have uncovered billions in state funds meant for NUMC that were funneled elsewhere. At the center of the alleged scheme, is a program called the Disproporionate Share Hospital Fund, which is meant to help keep afloat struggling hospitals such as NUMC as the medical center treats a large number of low-income patients on Medicaid and Medicare.
Under the program, the federal government agrees to give hospitals tens of millions of dollars in funding as long as their state matches the investment. Bruderman, who has been a financial advisor for over three decades, said that is what was happening at NUMC since at least 2006.
According to his review of internal financial records, previous hospital leadership allegedly "borrowed" what was supposed to be the state's matching share from an offshore account tied to Cayman Islands trust, originally set up to cover the medical center's legal bills. He said that money would be temporarily transferred into the hospital's general fund just long enough to trick the feds into thinking New York had paid its share, unlocking the federal portion of the funding.
Once the federal funds cleared, the state's contribution would then be moved right back offshore, which according to investigators, would mean those matching funds vanished into the shadows in a conspiracy that could've included top officials. In an updated report from the New York Post, Bruderman was reportedly fired after the news broke about the sensitive documents being stolen.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who once appeared to be aligned with Bruderman's claims that the hospital was robbed of more than $1 billion by state and prior county leaders since 2006, fired Bruderman on Thursday, April 24th. Blakeman said in a statement to the Post, "We thank Matt Bruderman for his service as Chairman of the Board of Nassau University Medical Center. Under his leadership, NUMC was able to reduce its deficits by significant margins and improve its ratings."
Nassau's Health Commissioner, Dr. Irina Gelman, will replace Bruderman, whose term was originally set to expire in 2027. Bruderman, who was unpaid in his position as chairman, said that he was shocked by his firing and claims that he is a victim of a political scandal. He said, "I was told if I didn't resign today, like a coward, I would be removed. I was told [Governor] Kathy Hochul wanted my head for exposing the corruption and previously supporting Lee Zeldin.
I was told I don't understand how powerful these people are and the lengths they would go to to hurt me. I refused to resign and they had no choice but to remove me. I fixed the hospital and exposed corruption and people buckled under the pressure."
According to the New York Post, Chairman Matthew Bruderman confirmed that his house in Oyster Bay was broken into just two weeks after news broke that he was "cooperating" with the FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) in an investigation of his claims that the hospital was robbed by state and previous county leaders of more than $1 billion since 2006.
The stolen documents have since been recovered by Center Island police, who confirmed that an active investigation into the burglary us underway. Bruderman was not home at the time of the burglary and only found out after police called to inform him that they had recovered a binder with his name on it in a car driven by an unidentified couple. He said, "I was confused because that was the binder I had on my desk when I left."
Bruderman said he later found is backdoor pried open. He said that the binder contained "sensitive" materials related to the ongoing federal investigation, including documents and records tied to the financial misconduct he claims to have uncovered while reviewing hospital finances and state reimbursements.
The chairman believes that the timing of the break-in along with the fact that nothing else appeared to have been stolen besides the documents, is cause for concern. The investigation into the hospital was opened in early April. Bruderman said he has been combing through the hospital's financial records and reimbursement filings since his 2022 appointment.
He claims to have uncovered billions in state funds meant for NUMC that were funneled elsewhere. At the center of the alleged scheme, is a program called the Disproporionate Share Hospital Fund, which is meant to help keep afloat struggling hospitals such as NUMC as the medical center treats a large number of low-income patients on Medicaid and Medicare.
Under the program, the federal government agrees to give hospitals tens of millions of dollars in funding as long as their state matches the investment. Bruderman, who has been a financial advisor for over three decades, said that is what was happening at NUMC since at least 2006.
According to his review of internal financial records, previous hospital leadership allegedly "borrowed" what was supposed to be the state's matching share from an offshore account tied to Cayman Islands trust, originally set up to cover the medical center's legal bills. He said that money would be temporarily transferred into the hospital's general fund just long enough to trick the feds into thinking New York had paid its share, unlocking the federal portion of the funding.
Once the federal funds cleared, the state's contribution would then be moved right back offshore, which according to investigators, would mean those matching funds vanished into the shadows in a conspiracy that could've included top officials. In an updated report from the New York Post, Bruderman was reportedly fired after the news broke about the sensitive documents being stolen.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who once appeared to be aligned with Bruderman's claims that the hospital was robbed of more than $1 billion by state and prior county leaders since 2006, fired Bruderman on Thursday, April 24th. Blakeman said in a statement to the Post, "We thank Matt Bruderman for his service as Chairman of the Board of Nassau University Medical Center. Under his leadership, NUMC was able to reduce its deficits by significant margins and improve its ratings."
Nassau's Health Commissioner, Dr. Irina Gelman, will replace Bruderman, whose term was originally set to expire in 2027. Bruderman, who was unpaid in his position as chairman, said that he was shocked by his firing and claims that he is a victim of a political scandal. He said, "I was told if I didn't resign today, like a coward, I would be removed. I was told [Governor] Kathy Hochul wanted my head for exposing the corruption and previously supporting Lee Zeldin.
I was told I don't understand how powerful these people are and the lengths they would go to to hurt me. I refused to resign and they had no choice but to remove me. I fixed the hospital and exposed corruption and people buckled under the pressure."
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments