It's like you're a paid attorney. Yeah, we can give him the benefit of the doubt on everything, despite all he says, his general "**** it" attitude with everything, and the fact that he has a vindictive personality and deals with people in vitriole. Let's give that guy the benefit of the doubt on a bunch of ****.
After all that, we still have to also ignore the fact that if this wasn't done out of fear, it was very likely quid pro quo.
Put your life savings on it. You betting there is nothing there or that it's out of fear/quid pro quo? I know what I'm betting.