My health stats are stellar, my weight is ideal (not from good genes, trust me!) while eating several ounces of nuts a day and of course starch, too, and I believe he has as much integrity as any of the other fine doctors doing this important nutrition work.
I don't see how anyone can read Dr. Campbell's response and make that conclusion. This isn't really a "two sides to every story" situation. Campbell's name and reputation were blatantly misused.
Integrity, or lack thereof, doesn't have anything to do with whether someone's diet advice also works. Those are separate issues. However, there is a tendency to diefy these diet leaders, and their followers become so defensive that they won't look at facts or hear any criticism.
I've seen this on the low-carb side as well with people like Gary Taubes, who it was proven misquoted researchers and misrepresented research for a NY Times article he wrote back in app. 2003 (and which rewarded him with his first book deal). But you can't say anything about that because Gary Taubes is considered almost a god to a lot of low-carbers. They lost weight following his dietary advice so he must be a good person too.
One thing doesn't follow the other. Nobody doubts Furhman's diet works. It's a healthy, plant-based diet (almost identical to McDougall's except for this nut business and a few relatively minor variations). What we doubt is his integrity, given Dr. Campbell's assertions, and also how we have seen him subtly malign Dr. McDougall, and apparently encourage that viewpoint on his site (even though that was not the case in reverse).
If he really wanted to get along with these other doctors and foster a united front in the plant-based community, he'd stick up for Dr. McDougall - state outright that Dr. McD's advice is not harmful or causing poor nutrition or heart disease - and also apologize to Dr. Campbell for using his name and reputation without permission.
Instead, we get only excuses. He even distances himself from his own study, as if he isn't responsible for the mistakes in it, although he continued to quote the same incorrect information and exaggerated weight loss results.
I agree with Dr. Campbell. We can do better. We need to uphold higher standards, even among those whose dietary views are similar. Particularly so because dishonesty discovered among any one of these public advocates may discredit the honest work of others.