To Those Who Support Him
This section exists for the people who may read these stories and feel defensive.
For the coworkers. The friends. The alumni. The church members. The “I’ve known him for years” crowd.
If you’re here because you believe this project is driven by bitterness, anger, or revenge, we want to be clear:
This is not about being mad.
This is about patterns.
Many of you knew him in a different context.
As a colleague.
A friend.
A classmate.
A fellow veteran.
A familiar face from the neighborhood, church, or social circle.
Your relationship with him did not involve romance, financial dependence, or emotional vulnerability. The women who came forward trusted him in those spaces.
Both things can be true.
Different Access. Different Risk.
The women who shared their experiences trusted him privately — in relationships where lies, manipulation, and power dynamics mattered.
You may trust him publicly — as someone who seemed credible, decorated, respected, or supported by a wider circle.
That public trust is part of what made the private harm possible.
Military events.
Social gatherings.
Friends standing nearby.
Stories repeated without question.
All of it reinforced credibility.
Silence Isn’t Neutral
Some supporters may feel this has nothing to do with them.
Others may believe staying quiet is the respectful choice.
But silence — intentional or not — creates cover.
When harmful behavior is minimized, excused, or reframed as “drama,” it doesn’t disappear. It continues.
Several survivors have shared that they believed people around him either:
knew and said nothing, or didn’t ask questions they should have.
In both cases, the outcome was the same.
Accountability Is Not Betrayal
Holding someone accountable does not mean you were fooled.
It does not mean your memories are invalid.
It does not mean every interaction you had with him was a lie.
It means you are willing to sit with information that is uncomfortable.
Choosing accountability over loyalty is not about tearing someone down.
It’s about refusing to help harm repeat itself.
Believe What You Want — But Read Carefully
You are free to form your own conclusions.
All we ask is that you read the experiences shared here with honesty, not defensiveness. Consider how credibility is built. Consider how trust is borrowed. Consider who benefits when questions aren’t asked.
This project is not asking you to pick sides.
It is asking you to think.
And to understand that protecting someone from accountability often protects the behavior — not the person.