Exclusive | Ex-NUMC CEO Meg Ryan accused of stealing $1M in exit payouts but calls allegation political hit-job
Nassau University Medical Center’s new leadership has made explosive claims that its recently ousted CEO stole at least $1 million from the hospital through improper exit payouts, leaked documents show.The letter, signed by interim CEO Dr.Richard Becker and sent to former CEO Meg Ryan on Wednesday, accused her of stealing the lump sum of money for herself and 12 other employees who resigned along with her at the end of May.“It has come to our attention that you authorized payments of approximately $3.5 million to yourself and 12 former employees,” Becker asserted in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Post.
“It appears that at least $1 million of this amount was in excess of amounts that were due to you and the other employees for wages and leave payouts.”Becker ends the letter by firing Ryan, removing her from administrative leave and giving her until Friday to respond to the allegations and possibly retain her job.The letter was leaked Thursday night by state officials as Ryan was preparing to present her case.A rep for Ryan told The Post that the allegations and the subsequent leak are part of a “political hit-job” to try and derail her credibility and career by turning her resignation into a for-cause termination tied to claims of fraud.The representative said Ryan unequivocally denies the accusations made in the letter — and is now firing back with a lawsuit against Becker and NuHealth, the public benefit company that runs the hospital, claiming that the corporation is “trying to wriggle out of its obligations” in Ryan’s contract by “ginning up ‘cause’ where none exists.“This is an attempt to distract from the State’s own corruption in the handling of NUMC’s finances,” the rep for Ryan said.
“This leak came straight from the second floor of the governor’s office.The people who perpetuated the fraud fired the people who uncovered the fraud — and now control the hospital.”The former CEO has been battling ...