If you twist what someone says to be something different, it calls your credibility to question. It just does.

I'll let it go now - obviously neither of us will be convinced of the other's position.

But if you happen to come up with an explanation for why it's OK for McComb to bring the allegations up to a larger audience and tell everyone they aren't true but it's wrong and slanderous for Checketts to bring them up to a larger audience and say they aren't true, I'd be happy to read your explanation.