If I were in Rust leadership, I would have a very hard time not seeing this as a personal failing and resigning. I'm not privy to any insider information, but this feels like a situation where I'd leave with a lot more respect for involved people if they said "I love Rust, and I need to step down for the sake of trust and the community.". But, much as some would like to imagine technical projects as being above it, PPP gets in the way (personalities, pride, politics).