According to the newspaper report, based on a memorandum by the late Dean of Southwark Colin Slee, who was involved in the selection process, Williams was fiercely opposed to appointing John. Both he and Archbishop of York John Sentamu apparently put intense pressure on other panel members. Slee believed that the source of the leak was Williams’ approach to lawyers when he sought legal advice on how to block any chance that John would be selected. The archbishop’s staff dispute some aspects of the account by Slee, who later died of cancer.