--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to say that every white-collar…" description: "\"I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense lawyer knows when the chief financial officer turns state's evidence, everyone in the executive ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg" --- # I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense… ![“I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense lawyer knows when the chief financial officer turns state's evidence, everyone in the executive suite is in a lot of trouble because the chief financial officer knows exactly where the money is coming and going.” quote by Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg) > “I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense lawyer knows when the chief financial officer turns state's evidence, everyone in the executive suite is in a lot of trouble because the chief financial officer knows exactly where the money is coming and going.” [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights that a CFO turning state's evidence exposes corporate wrongdoing, endangering executives. **In simple terms:** A CFO whistleblower reveals financial crimes, threatening executives. Key Takeaway Ensure robust internal controls and whistleblower protections. Themes law ethics corporate governance Mood analytical serious Type commentary warning When to use this quote - corporate compliance - risk management - legal strategy - internal audits Key Concepts whistleblowing financial fraud executive liability Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can prevent CFO misconduct? - How effective are whistleblower protections? A Different Perspective Executives may still evade liability despite whistleblower testimony. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminal defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-defense/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [Now I am practicing as well as a criminal defense lawyer in handling appeals. 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It should be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-tell-my-students-if-you-ever-become-comfortable-with-your-role-as/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [The CEO era gave rise to the CFO (not certified flying object, as you might imagine, but chief financial officer) and, most recently, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-ceo-era-gave-rise-to-the-cfo-not-certified-flying-object-as-you/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [“Won’t Work.” Apple’s former chief financial officer,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/won-t-work-apple-s-former-chief-financial-officer/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [Every good lawyer knows that if there is something in his client's cause that so personally offends you, morally, religiously, or if it so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-smith/every-good-lawyer-knows-that-if-there-is-something-in-his-client-s/) [Walter Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-smith/) > [A good lawyer knows how to shut up when he's won his case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/a-good-lawyer-knows-how-to-shut-up-when-he-s-won-his-case/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalen-braden/a-good-lawyer-knows-the-law-a-great-lawyer-knows-the-judge/) Magdalen Braden > [A good lawyer knows the law; a clever one takes the judge to lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-good-lawyer-knows-the-law-a-clever-one-takes-the-judge-to-lunch/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Practically, every defense lawyer knows that the jury desperately wants to hear from the defendant and that the only reason not to put him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/practically-every-defense-lawyer-knows-that-the-jury-desperately/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Remember that it is not the lawyer who knows the most law, but the one who best prepares his case, who wins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/remember-that-it-is-not-the-lawyer-who-knows-the-most-law-but-the-one/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [“ There is no client as scary as an innocent man. " J. Michael Haller, Criminal Defense Attorney, Los Angeles, 1962.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-client-as-scary-as-an-innocent-man-j-michael-haller/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [One of the people that wrote a forward to my book is Gerry Spence, whom I admire. Gerry is a friend of mine, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/one-of-the-people-that-wrote-a-forward-to-my-book-is-gerry-spence/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [To be an effective criminal defense counsel, an attorney must be prepared to be demanding, outrageous, irreverent, blasphemous, a rogue, a renegade, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-darrow/to-be-an-effective-criminal-defense-counsel-an-attorney-must-be/) [Clarence Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-darrow/) > [I did criminal defense work part-time, and that paid the bills for representing abused and neglected children... and for defending in juvenile court those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-vachss/i-did-criminal-defense-work-part-time-and-that-paid-the-bills-for/) [Andrew Vachss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-vachss/) ## More by Richard Painter > [Russia may very well be front and center again in 2020 as they were in 2016 regarding interference in America's presidential election. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/russia-may-very-well-be-front-and-center-again-in-2020-as-they-were/) [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) > [People knew Trump had strange relationships with the Russians even before he was elected. Consequently, there is every reason to investigate whether Donald Trump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/people-knew-trump-had-strange-relationships-with-the-russians-even/) [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) > [I am not going to apologize for my service to the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-am-not-going-to-apologize-for-my-service-to-the-country/) [Richard Painter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/) > [Donald Trump wants to ignore the rule of law. He ignores the Constitution. He ignores the subpoenas. 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Michael Haller, Criminal Defense Attorney, Los Angeles, 1962.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/there-is-no-client-as-scary-as-an-innocent-man-j-michael-haller/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [One of the people that wrote a forward to my book is Gerry Spence, whom I admire. 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It doesn't matter if we believe in our adversarial system and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-criminal-defense-attorney-is-misunderstood-if-not-despised-by/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [My anti-authoritarian instincts let me directly to criminal defense work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-stewart/my-anti-authoritarian-instincts-let-me-directly-to-criminal-defense/) [Lynne Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-stewart/) > [ \[I have \] two boys. One, Nicholas, is a criminal defense attorney in Phoenix in which he - gets into - a lot of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/i-have-two-boys-one-nicholas-is-a-criminal-defense-attorney-in/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I tell my students, if you ever become comfortable with your role as criminal defense lawyer, it's time to quit. It should be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-tell-my-students-if-you-ever-become-comfortable-with-your-role-as/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) [Browse all 12 Criminal defense quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-defense/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense lawyer knows when the chief financial officer turns state's evidence, everyone in the executive suite is in a lot of trouble because the chief financial officer knows exactly where the money is coming and going.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Painter" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-criminal-defense-lawyer-knows/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criminal defense" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-criminal-defense-lawyer-knows/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/819/richard-painter-14038_criminal-defense_i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-cr_626914.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have to say that every white-collar criminal defense lawyer knows when the chief financial officer turns…” — Richard Painter", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Painter", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-painter/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have to say that every...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-criminal-defense-lawyer-knows/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-painter/i-have-to-say-that-every-white-collar-criminal-defense-lawyer-knows/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```