One of the few upsides of the mortgage settlement is that foreclosure fraud whistleblower Lynn Szymoniak will receive a large settlement for a suit she filed being rolled into this deal. Lynn is an amazing person – easily one of the individuals most responsible for making robosigning a national issue. Unfortunately her knowledge came through first hand experience of being persecuted by a bank that was willing to perpetrate fraud to try to steal her home. They picked the wrong woman to mess with and Lynn’s heroic work has helped expose the systemic criminality which is driving the foreclosure crisis.

Lynn’s story was featured on 60 Minutes, for those who want to hear about what she’s gone through. But even that report, from over a year ago, is just the tip of the iceberg for her story. Deutsche Bank has disgracefully pursued her for years, despite her winning numerous decisions which should have forced them to stop their attacks on her. Matt Stoller has a post that contextualizes the importance of Lynn’s work and what she’s been up against over the last number of years.

There are few people that I know who are more courageous and more deserving of compensation through this settlement than Lynn. It’s good to see that there is at least some small amount of unquestionable good coming out of this otherwise heartbreaking mortgage settlement.