This was back when Jim Webb was a sort of Pat Buchanan Republican. He disliked Boorda as did many in the Naval Services because he was perceived to be a pliant tool of the Clinton political leadership. He is supposed to have axed Adm. Stan Arthur’s career after Arthur, who was a real combat naval aviator, had called BS on the Tailhook scheme of Hillary to break the morale of the Navy Air Arm. Boorda then became a pariah to much of the Naval officer corps. The only surmise that I have heard that is credible is that Boorda was going to retire and then make a big ‘mea culpa’ press conference to expose a number of fragrant activities by the Clintons regarding the Naval Service. Some involved violations of statute law regarding contracts. His death does look like an Arkancide.
There were some very perverse passages in Webb’s novel that gave some warning what kind of politician he would be.
But your theory sounds plausible. Those were the days of Arkancide. And Boorda had worked with clinton, which is what I mainly remember about him.
Would anyone be dumb enough to threaten clinton with exposure at that time? I don’t know. But if Boorda did, it wasn’t a very smart move.