>>The “secret society” remark, without more, is a thin reed to be stepping out onto.<<
The “secret society” remark is NOT all there is, as I’m sure you are aware. It’s just the latest discovery in a long line of damning evidence.
Yes. My point is simply that this remark, and we only know of it being made once, may be nothing more than "flippant" about the attitude and bias they already harbored.
As you point out, there is more.
I'm sure you've read about the opponent's strategy of getting somebody to bite on a false charge.