By Hank Russell
Democratic members of the Nassau County Legislature gathered on June 9 at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building to demand an immediate FBI investigation into what they call a series of highly suspicious events involving County Executive Bruce Blakeman, his handpicked former NUMC Chair Matthew Bruderman, and a binder of sensitive documents tied to an ongoing federal probe.
At the press conference, legislators unveiled a complaint letter, addressed to Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, outlining a series of events that legislators stated, “raise serious questions about the possibility of false claims being filed with law enforcement authorities, including the FBI,” and demand immediate federal scrutiny.
“What we’re about to lay out raises questions that no responsible government can ignore,” said Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove), the Legislature’s Minority Leader. “A hospital. A mysterious break-in. A politically appointed chair. A sudden firing. And a county executive who appears more interested in headlines than answers. Today, we’re sending a clear message to Nassau County and to every taxpayer: We want the truth—and we want it now.”
Those who participated in the press conference laid out this timeline:
- April 6: Bruce Blakeman meets privately with FBI Director Kash Patel at UBS Arena. The next day, it is reported that Blakeman, Bruderman, and other federal officials are probing Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) for long-standing Medicaid fraud.
- April 24: Bruderman’s Oyster Bay home is reportedly broken into. Nothing is stolen—except for a binder containing “sensitive” documents tied to the ongoing federal investigation involving NUMC’s finances.
- Later that day: The binder is recovered by Centre Island Police and later turned over to the Nassau County Police Department.
- That same night: Bruderman is fired by Blakeman’s administration without public explanation.
“This isn’t politics, this is obstruction 101,” said Legislator Seth Koslow (D-Merrick), ranking member of the Public Safety Committee and Blakeman’s Democratic opponent for county executive. “Either someone tried to steal evidence tied to a federal investigation, or someone lied about the existence of that evidence altogether. Whichever way you slice it, this smells like a cover-up and the public deserves an explanation”
Koslow announced that the Minority Caucus had also filed a Freedom of Information request seeking the contents of the recovered binder and any related communications between the county executive’s office and NUMC.
“We’re not accusing, we’re demanding this set of highly usually facts be investigated,” Koslow said. “But one thing is already clear: Nassau County needs leadership that doesn’t run from the truth.”
These developments follow more than a year of concerns raised by Democratic legislators regarding the politicization of Nassau University Medical Center and the appointment of individuals without appropriate qualifications to positions of public trust.
“Let me remind everyone: we stood at this very podium over a year ago calling on Bruce Blakeman to fire Matthew Bruderman,” said Legislator Arnold Drucker (D-Plainview). “We saw the red flags. We saw the political games. We called it out. But Blakeman didn’t listen. He doubled down. He empowered Bruderman to stir up chaos, push unvetted claims, and now—after a break-in and a front-page scandal—he suddenly cuts ties? That silence ends today.”
Legislator Scott Davis (D-Rockville Centre) closed the press conference by calling out the deeper stakes for residents. “NUMC serves some of our most vulnerable residents—families, seniors, frontline workers. It’s supposed to be a safety net, not a political pawn,” Davis said. “When you politicize healthcare, people pay the price. And when you politicize law enforcement, democracy pays the price. We are not going to let Bruce Blakeman bury this story. Not this time. Not with this much on the line.”
Long Island Life & Politics reached out to Blakeman’s office for comment and is waiting to hear back.