Judge blocks Bruce Blakeman's pick to run NUMC

A judge on Wednesday issued a temporary order barring Matthew Bruderman, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's pick to lead the board that runs Nassau University Medical Center, from taking his seat.

The order reinstated trustee Ann Kayman, an appointee of former County Executive Laura Curran.

Kayman said in a lawsuit in State Supreme Court that Blakeman, a Republican, wrongfully dismissed her in order to make room for Bruderman on the board of NuHealth, also known as the Nassau Health Care Corp.

Kayman said she was rightfully appointed to her board seat.

Blakeman appointed Bruderman, a Centre Island financial adviser and Republican donor, to the NuHealth board on March 4.

Justice Randy Sue Marber on Wednesday ordered that Bruderman be "prohibited from sitting and serving as a Director and/or Chair of the Board of [Nassau Health Care Corporation] in the same seat to which Ann Kayman was appointed on or about December 17, 2021."

Marber ordered that Kayman "shall remain on the board of NHCC."

The temporary restraining order is in place until the case is resolved.

The next hearing date is April 18.

Bruderman declined to comment Wednesday.

Kayman told Newsday she was looking forward to getting "back to work."

Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman, said in a statement: “By letter of the law a judge cannot issue a temporary restraining order against a municipality or public authority. Without any legal basis, Judge Marber issued a temporary restraining order in violation of the law." 

David Mejias, Kayman's attorney, disagreed.

"We're not trying to prevent the board from continuing to perform its duties," Mejias told Newsday. "We're asking the board to continue with the status quo."

The Blakeman administration argued Bruderman's appointment as a trustee and as board chairman on March 4 was appropriate and legal.

Nassau County Attorney Thomas Adams, a Blakeman appointee, argued that Curran, a Democrat, lacked the authority to appoint Kayman to the board seat, which had been held by former trustee Warren Zysman.

Blakeman administration officials said Zysman's appointment wasn't set to expire until this year.

Mejias noted that former County Executive Edward Mangano, a Republican, appointed Zysman to a five-year term beginning in 2014.

Mejias argued Mangano was wrong to appoint Zysman to another five-year term in 2017 while Zysman was in the middle of his first term.

Zysman's appointment ended in 2019, not 2022, according to Kayman's lawsuit.

Robert Spolzino, outside counsel for the hospital and an attorney with the law firm Abrams Fensterman, also argued that Kayman did not file her oath card within 30 days of her appointment, making her appointment invalid.

Mejias, the Oyster Bay Town Democratic leader and a former Democratic County legislator, told Newsday Bruderman "can't be the chairman of the board [he's] not a member of." 

"If Blakeman really wants him on the board, he can appoint him to another seat," Mejias said.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.