My moral quandry

I got a voice mail from D, a good friend of mine at work. She works in a division which is undergoing layoffs, or "job eliminations" as
we are politely calling them. Her job is safe, but a lot of talented people are not so lucky.

She has called me before in the past to see if I can help some of her friends. I think very highly of her and if she says they are good, then that is good enough for me. Like I said, she called and the message started with her asking for my help. My fear was that something happened to her, but that was not the case. It was for another coworker of hers, we will call P, whose job was eliminated. Unlike the others I have helped, I know this person.

To say I find this person a lecherous scum sucking gutter whore I think would be a kind assessment. Ego maniacal d#@k head would be another. In short I don't like him, and based on the 5 years and half dozen or so encounters I have had with him, I don't see my opinion
changing. D, my very dear friend, was asking if I could help him.

This is raising several moral quandaries for me. First and foremost why would she be friends with him? How could she like this guy? Even stranger, how could she and I, who have so much in common have such wildly differing opinions of the same person? D and I agree on
everything, sans P. It just doesn't make sense; it almost makes me question my friendship with her.

Second, what do I tell her about my willingness to help him? I had talked to friends of hers before, and just last week I offered to do the same, although I warned her that my division doesn't have many openings. Do I tell her that now I am not available to talk? If I do,
what is the reason? Did I suddenly get too busy or do I tell her the truth? I don't want to offend her, but at the same time I don't wish to assist someone whom I think personifies some of the worst qualities a person can possess.

I admit I am experiencing some "shameful joy" at P's misfortune. I am trying to keep it check by focusing on this new dynamic in my friendship with D. If anyone has some advice or an opinion on the Grown Up thing to do, please let me know.  I think the correct course of action is to tell D I can not help P because of my past history with him (without getting into details or calling him a rectal wart on the face of humanity). Obviously she did not know the history of how I felt; to just not answer without a reason would be rude.

But if anyone else has another opinion (preferably one where I tell P off!) let me know.

Malicious in Minneapolis