. ▁ ▁Hol t ▁did ▁not ▁accept ▁Smith ' s ▁exc use , ▁and ▁submitted ▁the ▁papers ▁to ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁War ▁with ▁the ▁recommendation ▁that ▁the ▁matter ▁be ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁Committee ▁on ▁Military ▁Affairs , ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁confirm ▁Smith ▁for ▁the ▁permanent ▁position ▁he ▁sought . ▁ ▁Smith ▁wrote ▁a ▁more ▁apolog etic ▁explanation ▁to ▁the ▁Secretary , ▁painting ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁g ul li ble ▁du pe . ▁He ▁explained ▁the ▁plot ▁in ▁detail , ▁and ▁argued ▁that ▁his ▁only ▁off ense ▁was ▁using ▁other ▁people ' s ▁money ▁for ▁his ▁own ▁profit . ▁ ▁He ▁claimed ▁that ▁all ▁his ▁credit ors ▁had ▁been ▁rep a id , ▁and ▁no ▁rec ruits ▁had ▁been ▁def ra ud ed ▁out ▁of ▁their ▁b ount y . ▁ ▁But ▁convenient ly , ▁Smith ▁claimed ▁that ▁all ▁other ▁witness es ▁to ▁his ▁story ▁had ▁either ▁died ▁or ▁left ▁the ▁country , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁destroyed ▁or ▁lost ▁all ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁bank ▁account ▁records ▁for ▁that ▁period . ▁ ▁The ▁Secretary ▁found ▁Smith ' s ▁explanation ▁to ▁be ▁un av ail ing . ▁ ▁Smith ' s ▁temporary ▁appointment ▁as ▁judge ▁advoc ate ▁was ▁rev oked ▁by ▁the ▁President . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Judge ▁Adv oc ate ▁General ' s ▁summ ation ▁of ▁the ▁events , ▁Hol t ▁ex cor i ated ▁Smith ▁for ▁how ▁his ▁own ▁testim ony ▁appeared ▁to ▁suggest ▁he ▁believed ▁it ▁was ▁al right ▁to ▁mis le ad ▁and ▁dece ive ▁military