I think that was absolutely the right choice,

This retention wasn't about making a 'politically correct' or 'politically acceptable' choice. It was about getting the right person for the job. Firm affiliation is irrelevant to finding the right person.

The truth is messy. It's raw and uncomfortable. You can't blame people for preferring lies.

When it came right down to it, I had to make a choice. This was the individual, it was the guy, right time, right place. It was the guy I wanted alongside of me to go forward.

When one divides, the other should have the right of first choice

Whether they made the right choice, who knows?