Well, no wonder....
The implication of what you're saying is that he made the choice to hire GC Strategies and had some reason for doing so, and also that he came and told the committee that he didn't make the decision and didn't know who made the decision.
Essentially, you're telling us that someone's head was going to be on a plate because somebody got rich, somebody benefited from this. Someone's head was going to be on a plate, and he wanted it to be yours and not his.