Don't know the best way to put it but the investigation AMC launched didn't find anything damning enough not bring him back and that was all. I don't know what the standards are but that is in no way a not guilty. That seems to be what people are missing the investigation didn't say he was innocent/not guilty. His accuser didn't cooperate, for whatever reasons she might have had, and they just didn't find enough of a smoking gun on their own.
At this point, it is a matter of who you want to believe, but I wish people in this thread would stop acting like the investigation settles the matter and Hardwick was innocent because that is not what happened.
Yeah, a private investigation (especially without the transparency offered eventually by a public court) is hardly definitive. It is better that any sort of body with legal authority be involved than nothing, but we aren't getting the whole picture here. The network is only interested in investigating as far as absolving themselves of fiscal liability.
Just do a bit of research about the man's history, including the character evidence volunteered by past associates, before making a decision. The weight of the accusation definitely deserves the added scrutiny.