What I think is that compared to many other sports Chess is less centralized. In for example many athletic sports there is a pretty clear hierarchy : local club

What I think is that compared to many other sports Chess is less centralized. In for example many athletic sports there is a pretty clear hierarchy : local clubs - national association - international association (socces, tennis, with notable exceptions like boxing, or even the less clear UEFA - FIFA hierarchy; US sports are often very centralized). So the rules of chess are clear, but the sport is practiced online over many different venues and organizers (like: boxing or MMA) that don't all seem to fall under one set of guiding principles. So there is no appeal to authority, even when the sports biggest star is a part of a controversy. That being said, based on this article I think Chess.com is just stringing out the controversy for maximal exposure. Again, akin to the controversies in boxing or say MMA.