What Did the $25,000 Payment Settle? Correspondence Concerning the Reynolds-Evans Litigation
In January 2023, Drs. Foerster and Petrou contacted former counsel Michael Reynolds and Mark Evans after Paul Cronin and Aine Kelly included a $25,000 settlement payment among amounts they claimed were owed to them. As Dr. Petrou explained, the claimed $25,000 was outside the April 2018 promissory note, and neither Dr. Foerster nor Dr. Petrou had been informed of the settlement in 2018 or provided a copy of the settlement agreement. With the final payment under the promissory note being held in escrow pending a reconciliation of amounts owed, Drs. Foerster and Petrou requested documentation explaining the basis for the additional $25,000 claim.
In response, Reynolds confirmed that the $25,000 figure was correct but stated that Cronin and Kelly had denied being guarantors and that no such facts or admissions were made in the settlement. Evans separately indicated that he agreed with Reynolds' characterization and stated that he would check whether he had a copy of the agreement.
Exhibit 1 – January 28, 2023 Email Correspondence Regarding the $25,000 Settlement Payment
After Paul Cronin and Aine Kelly included a $25,000 settlement payment among amounts they claimed were owed, Drs. Foerster and Petrou contacted former counsel Michael Reynolds and Mark Evans seeking clarification and a copy of the settlement agreement. Reynolds confirmed the amount but stated that Cronin and Kelly denied being guarantors and that no such facts or admissions were made in the settlement. Evans concurred and indicated that he would check whether he had a copy of the agreement.
Exhibit 2 – February 2–3, 2023 Follow-Up Correspondence Concerning the Settlement Agreement
As documented in Dr. Petrou's February 2, 2023 email, a Maryland attorney advised that the situation appeared unusual, that a party requesting payment of $25,000 should provide the settlement agreement supporting the request, and that attorneys ordinarily retain such agreements and related records for years. The attorney further advised that a settlement of that size suggested that Paul Cronin and Aine Kelly had been involved as guarantors of the underlying legal-fee obligation and that the settlement agreement itself should have resolved those legal-fee issues when it was executed. Drs. Foerster and Petrou therefore renewed their request for a copy of the settlement agreement before making further payment arrangements.
Several days later, Reynolds stated that Cronin and Kelly's attorney had the agreement and that Cronin and Kelly should also have copies of the relevant records, directing Drs. Foerster and Petrou to obtain the documentation from them.
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Exhibit 3 – May 2023 Correspondence and November 30, 2018 Consent Order of Dismissal
Several months later, Cronin and Kelly reported that they had asked Cyril Hall's office for the settlement documentation. According to their correspondence, Rama advised that she did not see a settlement agreement in the file and believed the matter appeared to have proceeded through case evaluation, with the attached dismissal order serving as the available memorialization of the resolution. Cronin and Kelly therefore produced the November 30, 2018 Consent Order Granting Dismissal of All Parties and All Claims With Prejudice and Without Costs entered in the Reynolds and Evans litigation.
November 30, 2018 – Consent Order Granting Dismissal of All Parties and All Claims With Prejudice and Without Costs
The order dismissed the litigation between Reynolds and Evans, on one side, and Paul Cronin and Aine Kelly, on the other, in its entirety with prejudice. The order further stated that it constituted a final order resolving all issues against all parties.
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A lawsuit was filed. A court order memorializing its dismissal was produced. A $25,000 payment was made. Yet no settlement agreement explaining what that payment was intended to settle has been produced. The record therefore answers how the litigation ended, but not what the $25,000 payment was intended to resolve.
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- July 7 Documentary Notice to University of Michigan Vice President and General Counsel Timothy G. Lynch Concerning University and Law Enforcement Investigations Involving Drs. Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou (2015–2026). July 8 UM Announces Lynch Leaving.
- From One FBI File to a Legislative Proposal: Peter and Maria Foerster Ask Senator Van Hollen's Office and Congressman Jamie Raskin to Consider a Uniform Administrative Framework for Federal Investigations
- The Institutional Fingerprint of the FBI Russia-Gate File: Referrals, Consults, Intelligence Reports, and the June 16, 2026 FBI Production
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Brad Foerster, MD PhD
Brad Foerster is a FOIA advocate documenting requests, transparency disputes, and accountability investigations involving public agencies, universities, police oversight, and Russia-Gate related inquiries. His work compiles original documents, timelines, and analysis of public records and institutional responses. Brad is also a board-certified radiologist, author of Town & Gown, and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles. Brad lives in Potomac, Maryland with his family and is active in the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Takoma Park U.S. & World History Book Club.