NUMC chairman lashes out at Hochul, critics, vows to stay

Daily Point

The spectacle, politics and expletives at NUMC

What was billed as a “town hall” for employees of the Nassau University Medical Center became a two-hour frenetic spectacle on Tuesday, complete with music, pomp and at times raucous cheers and boos.

At the center of it all was NUMC chairman Matthew Bruderman, who took the stage and held court as he unleashed a fiery, chaotic and at times expletive-filled diatribe, in which he attacked the state, local politicians, the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, NUMC’s chief operating officer, the Civil Service Employees Association and Newsday, among others, according to an audio recording of the session obtained by The Point.

“I’m not fighting for me,” Bruderman said. “I’m fighting for jobs. I’m fighting for the poor of Long Island to have health care. It’s not about me.”

But at the same time, Bruderman discussed at length his own history, including early attempts to oust him as chairman, and framed the battles as personal ones.

“I was raised a certain way,” he said “I was raised that you never walk past a bully — ever… I told my son… ‘The harder they attack me the better I feel.’”

Bruderman specifically went after Newsday, citing articles, editorials and opinion pieces with which he disagreed.

“I’ll keep a list. All the reporters who write crappy things, we should all follow for the rest of their lives. Keep a list. I’m going to follow them, just like I’m going to follow some politicians,” Bruderman said.

He argued that NUMC’s problems predate him, which is true, and blamed state officials for NUMC’s current troubles.

“Kathy Hochul doesn’t want to look you in the eye and say we don’t care about inequality, we don’t care about people of color, we don’t care about poor people’s health care,” Bruderman said. “She won’t say it, so what do you do? You bring in NIFA, who’s a bunch of idiots that do nothing... What’s a lie is that before I got here, they started defunding it…”

“It’s not failing,” Bruderman said of the hospital. To state officials, he added: “You’re not paying the bill. You’re trying to suffocate it and kill it and you’re caught red-handed.”

NUMC recently asked the state for $125 million, claiming the state owed it money, even though some sources of revenue were always meant to be temporary. When asked by someone in the audience whether he’d follow the detailed requirements recently set by the state Department of Health, Bruderman was direct.

“I’m going to give you a really simple answer: No,” he said. “They’re not going to blackmail the staff and the patients.”

And in a speech that at times became heated, including during brief exchanges with employees and others in the audience. Bruderman took his message directly to the employees, seemingly linking his own future with the hospital to theirs.

“You’re being robbed. This community is being robbed of jobs and poor people of their health care,” Bruderman said. “Stop the [expletive]. This hospital needs to be fixed and I can do it. If they remove me, they’re trying to [expletive] you.”

'The naughty-nice list now'

Amid the many eye-opening moments of Bruderman’s lengthy screed, one particular set of comments caught the ear of local political officials — as it was a moment when a speech about NUMC seemed to turn into a political endorsement.

Bruderman referred to an article in The Point that highlighted a $5,000 donation he made to Assemb. Taylor Darling, who is now running for State Senate in a primary that also features Nassau Legis. Siela Bynoe.

“She’s a Black Democrat from this area. You guys know Taylor? We’re going to do the naughty-nice list now,” Bruderman said. “Taylor Darling is running for State Senate. I encourage every single person to vote for Taylor. She’s a Democrat.”

“She’s done nothing for the hospital,” someone from the audience shouted.

“She’s done everything from the hospital. You just don’t see it,” Bruderman responded. “I’m not endorsing candidates. I’m telling you that Taylor Darling cares about the poor, Black, underprivileged people in this community.”

A few minutes later, Bruderman came back to the Darling-Bynoe race.

“I believe that Taylor Darling passionately and compassionately cares about the poor, Black and Hispanic, underprivileged people suffering from inequality. She believes in it,” he said. “This other woman — Bynoe. What’s her name? Siela Bynoe. I call people out and hold them accountable.”

Bruderman recalled an exchange with Bynoe from his confirmation hearing at the Nassau County legislature that bothered him.

“And now that I’m being all mean, I think that woman is an idiot,” Bruderman said of Bynoe.

“She’s done more for the employees of this hospital than Taylor ever has,” one person shouted out.

Responded Bruderman: “Why am I picking and choosing two African American women of color that are running for Democratic office? Why did I give Taylor money? For me. I gave her money because she’s doing what’s right. That other woman — what’s her name? Siela Bynoe? I don’t know who she is… I’ve never seen her… That woman has nothing to do with the hospital.”

Also in Bruderman’s crosshairs: State Sen. Kevin Thomas and former NIFA chairman Adam Barsky. On his “nice” list: NIFA chairman Richard Kessel, Darling, Nassau Legis. Carrie Solages and County Executive Bruce Blakeman, whom Bruderman called “legit.”

During the meeting, Bruderman noted that he has given money to Blakeman and to former gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin. According to state campaign finance records, Bruderman gave $10,000 to Blakeman and $60,829 to Zeldin, along with the $5,000 for Darling, and also has made contributions to State Sen. Jack Martins, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino, and the state and Nassau County Republican committees, among other donations. He also had made significant contributions on the federal level, including to D’Esposito, LaLota and Garbarino among others, according to federal records.

But then Bruderman took a different tack.

“It’s not politics,” Bruderman said. “I’m a no politics guy. I’m all about what’s right for the hospital and telling the truth… I don’t care about any of the politicians.”

Nassau Legislature's minority caucus hits back

Recordings of Bruderman’s comments quickly swept through key political circles across Nassau County on Tuesday. And by Wednesday, a spokesman for Nassau Legislature’s minority caucus, which includes Bynoe, went on the offensive.

“Considering Matthew Bruderman’s comments were about as subtle as a fireworks display at a library, it’s pretty much a given that a flurry of formal complaints will be zipping their way to every oversight agency with a letterhead,” the spokesman told The Point. “The guest list includes the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, the New York State Attorney General’s Public Integrity Bureau, and the Joint Commission on Public Ethics.”

The spokesman noted that the list of agencies involved is indicative of how seriously the legislature’s minority is taking what Bruderman did.

So much for “no politics” in the ongoing saga of NUMC.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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