“Harassment” as a Shield Against Questions: Congressman Jamie Raskin Asked to Review Federal and Constitutional Issues as New FOIA Tests the University of Michigan’s Withheld FBI Record Concerning Drs. Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou
The University of Michigan has confirmed possession of an FBI-generated record concerning Dr. Bradley Foerster and/or Dr. Myria Petrou but has withheld the record in full.
The response leaves Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou with one fact: the record exists. The University knows the record’s subject and contents; Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou do not.
That information asymmetry is the reason for a series of focused FOIA requests. Rather than speculate about the withheld record, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou are testing possible subjects one at a time.
On October 27, 2026, Dr. Foerster requested FBI-generated records concerning harassment, cyberbullying, stalking, intimidating or threatening communications, repeated or unwanted communications, and malicious use of telecommunications involving Dr. Foerster and/or Dr. Petrou.
The category was selected because harassment allegations or characterizations previously arose in two documented matters.
On October 27, 2026, Dr. Foerster sent the post to University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso, General Counsel Patricia Petrowski, Professor Kentaro Toyama, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, City of Ann Arbor officials, and Bank of Ann Arbor leadership.
Dr. Foerster asked each recipient a direct question: Has a belief that communications from Dr. Petrou or Dr. Foerster constitute “harassment” caused the recipient or institution to decline to answer questions about what happened? Dr. Foerster asked any recipient holding that view to state the position and identify the basis. Otherwise, Dr. Foerster requested an explanation for the continued lack of substantive answers.
Later that morning, Dr. Foerster forwarded the inquiry and post to Congressman Jamie Raskin—Dr. Foerster’s United States representative and a constitutional lawyer—and requested Congressman Raskin’s assessment. Dr. Foerster copied Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office because Senator Van Hollen’s staff already knew about related matters.
Dr. Foerster identified a direct federal issue. The University of Michigan has acknowledged possessing an FBI-generated document concerning Dr. Foerster and/or Dr. Petrou but has withheld the document in full. In pending D.D.C. FOIA litigation, DOJ and the FBI have also confirmed more than 500 pages responsive to Dr. Foerster’s request concerning Russia-Gate information attributed to Dr. Paul Cronin. The FBI has released portions of the file with heavy redactions.
Neither the FBI nor the University has explained whether the FBI-generated document held by the University concerns alleged harassment, Russia-Gate, or another subject entirely.
Dr. Foerster asked Congressman Raskin directly: Does a pattern of institutions controlling records, refusing to explain what happened, and treating continued questions as “harassment” raise First Amendment, due-process, or government-accountability concerns? Dr. Foerster also asked whether Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou are entitled to substantive answers and whether Congressman Raskin’s office should examine the matter.
Tarick Seifeddine is the former husband of Duaa Altaee.
Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou contacted Seifeddine concerning personal belongings—including a piano, furniture, artwork, china, and other property—that remained at 1745 Brian Court.
On July 1, 2020, Ann Arbor Police Detective Kevin Warner informed Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou that AAPD was investigating a complaint involving those communications. Detective Warner described a “legitimate basis for the complaint,” cited Michigan statutes governing telecommunications and cyber communications, and directed Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou to cease all communications with Seifeddine and members of the Seifeddine family.
Detective Warner identified 630 Geddes Ridge Avenue as the “last known address” for Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou. The address was outdated. Driver’s-license records confirmed that Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou no longer resided there, and the communications under investigation were sent from Cyprus.
The outdated address was particularly notable because Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou had been evicted from 630 Geddes Ridge in May 2018 following a sheriff’s sale pursued by the Bank of Ann Arbor. The eviction was publicly reported and followed a year-long AAPD investigation during which search warrants froze the bank accounts of Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou.
Dr. Petrou replied on July 1, 2020. In an email titled “Intimidation and First Amendment Violations,” Dr. Petrou and Dr. Foerster challenged AAPD’s jurisdiction and the factual basis for the investigation. Dr. Petrou and Dr. Foerster explained that the communications concerned a contract and the return of personal property—not threats of physical harm or property damage—and argued that potential civil litigation and publication were protected activities.
Detective Warner never responded or addressed the questions raised in the email.
The complete matter is examined here: AAPD’s 2020 Investigation of Drs. Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou — The Piano, 1745 Brian Court, and Alleged “Harassing Communications” .
In September 2021, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou sent Dr. Eva Feldman a $10,000 check to repay money previously provided by Dr. Feldman.
University of Michigan Senior Associate General Counsel Gloria Hage responded on behalf of Dr. Feldman. Hage stated that Dr. Feldman would destroy the repayment check, considered the communications “harassment,” and wanted all contact to cease.
Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou responded that an attempt to repay money provided in good faith could not reasonably be considered harassment. Because Dr. Feldman declined repayment, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou stated that the original $10,000 payment would be treated as a gift and that no financial obligation remained.
The exchange documents a second use of the harassment characterization—this time through the University’s Office of the Vice President and General Counsel.
These two episodes raise an uncomfortable question: has the word “harassment” become a way to avoid answering legitimate questions?
In the AAPD matter, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou asked about personal property, the basis for the investigation, and AAPD’s jurisdiction. Instead of receiving answers, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou were told to stop communicating.
In the Dr. Feldman matter, Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou attempted to repay $10,000. The attempt was characterized as harassment, and Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou were directed to cease all further contact.
The result is a trap. The original questions remain unanswered, but asking again can be treated as further harassment.
The silence extends beyond these two exchanges. Across multiple matters, the Ann Arbor Police Department, the University of Michigan, and the Bank of Ann Arbor have repeatedly declined to provide clear, substantive answers about what happened, why particular actions were taken, who made the relevant decisions, or what information supported those decisions.
The institutions control the records and the explanations. Dr. Foerster and Dr. Petrou are left to reconstruct what happened through FOIA requests and records obtained years later.
The October 27 request asks one narrow question: does the University possess FBI-generated records concerning alleged harassment involving Dr. Foerster or Dr. Petrou? The request does not claim that the FBI investigated or substantiated harassment.
Either answer narrows the unknown. A “no records” response narrows the possibilities; confirmation of records identifies a subject for further review.
Related: Kara Morgenstern’s Investigative Role and the University of Michigan’s Withheld Legal Files . Disclosed records document the legal office’s investigative activities and communications with federal investigators concerning Dr. Petrou and Dr. Foerster. The University continues to withhold records that could explain the full scope of those activities.
Selected Reporting
- Bradley Foerster Submits 140-Exhibit, 1,121-Page Documentary Chronology to FBI for Supervisory Review of the Investigation Involving Dr. Bradley Foerster, Dr. Myria Petrou, and Duaa Altaee
- 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
- Eva Feldman Documentary Chronology: 139 Exhibits on NIH R01NS082304, University Proceedings, and Federal Investigation — No Response Received
- Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou Send Ann Arbor Officials Documentary Chronology on AAPD and Related Federal Investigations — No Response Received
- Timothy Lynch Documentary Chronology: 63 Exhibits on University of Michigan Office of General Counsel, University Investigations, and Law Enforcement — No Response Received
- Bradley Foerster and Myria Petrou Documentary Chronology: 8 Exhibits Document More Than Two Years of Efforts to Trace Bank of Ann Arbor's $1.4 Million Sheriff's Sale Credit Bid — No Response Received
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 a member of the Montgomery County Medical Society and the Takoma Park U.S. & World History Book Club.