The other phenomenon, which I recall reading about in grad school, was a study in which participants were split into two groups, Both groups were required to tell something untruthful to others (non-participants). The one group was paid a very small amount for participating. The other group was paid a substantial amount for particiipating. Afterwards, it was determined that the group paid a large amount of money had a much lessor tendency to believe that what they were saying was true, as compared to the other group which was paid a pittance.. The explanation was that those being paid a pittance tended to feel that what they were saying must be true as they couldn’t be bought for such a small amount.. Those being paid a large amount readily accepted that they were being bought, and recognized the falsehood. I would suggest that Bill Baergen falls into the group being paid (relatively) a small amount of money, and so he would begin to feel that what he was doing was right and just.