"were untrue, but their desire to secure the condemnation of Paul was stronger than their love of truth. AA 419.2"
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
The EGW passage reflects the idea in John 8:44 that those who are aligned with the devil prioritize their desires over truth. The EGW passage connects this to the accusers of Paul.