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So it must have been something yet to come — something dreadful — something, to judge from his letter of resignation, that involved Butts. Three lines in the letter stood out in this regard.

The first was his declaration that he had personally been accused by “anonymous sources” of having pressured Wilson-Raybould, when she was attorney-general, to lean on prosecutors to settle out of court with SNC-Lavalin rather than pursue criminal charges. This was news. To my knowledge there had until then been no specific allegation about him: rather, unnamed officials in the prime minister’s office were said to be involved.

Was there, as some speculated, a deal — Butts’s head, in return for Wilson-Raybould’s silence?

Second, he went out of his way to mention his respectful and supportive relationship with Wilson-Raybould. This, too, was noteworthy, as there has been no specific evidence that she was the source of the allegations, even if it seems logical to assume it must have been her, or someone close to her.

Third, he categorically denied the allegation against him — the one that until then had not been made — and said that he intends to defend his reputation.

From which it would seem reasonable to conclude that he anticipated being named by Wilson-Raybould as one of the officials who had pressured her, notwithstanding his protestations of innocence.

But why quit, even then, if he is as guiltless as he claims? Suppose that’s true: that nothing at all improper happened between them. For the former attorney general to say it did, then — if in fact she did — would mean she was either hallucinating or lying; and not only that, but willing to resign from cabinet in support of this wholly invented account.