Providing this statement is hardly doubling down and if anything moves in the other direction. Hiring a legit firm with a reputation of its own to defend is by all accounts the right thing to do, particularly after all the other fumbles that took place. Was waiting for an investigatory body to come along and do the legwork for free the more sensible option? No one was silenced here, and these allegations were made without proof. I tend to believe others, but this cuts both ways.
I'd say that laying your own experiences out as germane is gross, but then I do appreciate those strong biases being highlighted. For my own part I'd have rather not defended a media outlet that I do not care for.