Listen I think privately Paul probably sees the conflict of interest, but I know he's a genuinely nice guy and so is probably concerned about a pile -on and mental health. However I've come to see that sometimes being only kind, does not always benefit human beings in ALL situations.
I don't think it's ever healthy to treat people, especially those with some authority, as beyond criticism.
It's part of the reason we have this issue in the exJW community.
Prominent voices should never be beyond being questioned or criticized.