Robinson's removal as an independent investigator doesn't pass the smell test, and many believe it was done for political reasons.
Usage notes: often used in negative sentences, as in the example
pass the smell test
To be trustworthy, credible, authentic, or morally acceptable. (Usually used in the negative.) The new pro-drilling bill that's being put through Congress doesn't pass the smell test, and many are suspicious that Big Oil has been responsible for its inception.