Victor Ortiz Was a Successful and Popular Manager at the Marketing

Victor Ortiz was a successful and popular manager at the marketing division of a consumer goods company. Many attributed the company's immense success in the last two years to Victor's highly creative marketing plans, which cost the company very little but increased the visibility of its products. He also effectively tied up with new retail chains so the demand for their products grows as the new retail chains grow. Recently, a subordinate alleged that Victor had sexually harassed her, and stories of similar allegations made against him in the past resurfaced. The situation was laid to rest when Victor made an appearance with the victim by his side claiming that the allegations were baseless as he was romantically involved with her. Though this announcement did not convince people, the allegations against Victor were withdrawn. From the information provided in this scenario, this outcome can be explained by the fact that ________.

A) Victor has a high degree of referent power
B) Victor has enough power to get away with his misdeeds
C) Victor has abided by the standards of equity and justice
D) Victor has used a defensive impression management technique
E) Victor has used scapegoating to free himself from the charges