[El Gato]

Hopefully turns out to be a false accusation (though him stepping down already makes me wonder). Exactly, you don't step down on the basis of allegations you know are false. There are exceptions, such as a politician not wanting to hurt his party at a critical juncture, but they are few and far between.

I doubt this is one of them.

T'were me, I'd be thundering my innocence from the pulpit, on the radio, in interviews, and so forth. Then I'd sue for defamation of character. IOW, tell 'em put up, or shut up. Best to get it all out in the open and resolve it as quickly as possible.

[Bainbridge]

Exactly. A righteous man defends himself as he knows that to do otherwise can cause others to stumble.