Khan determined she didn’t need to distance herself after consulting the FTC’s general counsel’s office, according to emails reviewed by Bloomberg, where a lawyer advised that there was no issue with her participation since she hadn’t commented on the specific transaction.

The FTC’s Democratic majority then approved Khan’s decision to participate over the objections of the sole Republican commissioner Christine Wilson, blacking out all mentions of the ethics advice in Wilson’s dissent.

Those events led Wilson to abruptly resign, announcing her decision in a fiery op-ed accusing Khan of “abuse of power.” While the ethics dispute was public, many of the details — including the existence of the ethics memo and how it led to Wilson’s resignation — haven’t previously been reported.

[Now it’s public. I expect all of those hyperventilating about Clarence Thomas’ friendship with Harlan Crow to demand immediate accountability from Khan. BWA-HAHAHAHA, of course I don’t expect that. — Ed]