Isitt was involved in their campaign. His campaign volunteers promoted him, Loveday and TV when calling constituents.
Isitt knew that with at least two open seats in 2018 and possibly more, it was vital to support a slate that aligned with his views. Especially in 2018 which saw a large number of strong candidates competing for those spots. Nothing nefarious, just common sense and good politicking.
Which takes me back to my comment about including Helps...