My guess is this had nothing to do with lawsuits threatened or real, slander, liable, etc. More likely someone who flew off the handle, probably prematurely, and then got things resolved by the company. And now, either through guilt, or because they asked him to, he's trying to 'take it back'.
Problem is, of course, it just doesn't sound sincere - and that lack of sincerity raises more questions than it answers. And why can't we get him back in here?
Hey, Aeroguy - come on back in and give us Paul Harvey Page 2 - the REST of the story.