The smoking gun

I believe the smoking gun in the Black "wink-and-nod" case is the over-the-top hysterical reaction from the Harper Cons to the idea -- the very idea! -- that such an honourable, independent, hand's off minister like Jason Kenny would ever think to interfere in the decisions of his department. (/snark)
First somebody gets the bright idea to report Guidy Mamann to the law society -- the Harper Cons think lese-majeste is now a crime -- then today we get this huffy and pompous reaction to the lawyers' petition, from Kenny's spokesperson Ana Curic:

“Baseless accusations of misconduct and reckless character smears, by someone holding himself out to be an expert, poison the public discourse and debase the legal profession,” Ms. Curic said.
“Instead of engaging in kneejerk outbursts of blind solidarity, these lawyers might consider the long-term damage to their profession of elevating activism above professionalism.”

By the way, I'm sure it actually wasn't Kenny who gave the nod to Conrad Black.
It was the PMO.