--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As so often happens with Washington…" description: "\"As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.\" — Tom ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png" --- # As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the… ![“As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.” quote by Tom Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png) > “As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.” [Tom Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Scandals are less damaging than the cover‑up attempts that follow them, highlighting the danger of concealment. **In simple terms:** Cover‑ups cause more trouble than the original scandal. Key Takeaway Prioritize transparency over secrecy. Themes politics ethics scandal cover‑up accountability Mood critical cautionary serious Type Cover ups:1 Happens:0 People:0 Scandal:1 Scandals:0 Trouble:0 Washington Scandals:0 Scandals Isn:0 Scandal Gets:0 When to use this quote - government - corporate governance - crisis management - media reporting Key Concepts public trust media scrutiny organizational behavior Questions to Reflect On - Why do cover‑ups attract more attention? - How can institutions prevent the urge to hide? A Different Perspective Sometimes the scandal itself is severe. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cover ups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-ups/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Scandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal/) [Scandal Gets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandal-gets-584212/) [Scandals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandals/) [Scandals Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scandals-isn-584211/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Washington Scandals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-scandals-584210/) ## Related quotes > [It isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/it-isn-t-the-original-scandal-that-gets-people-in-the-most-trouble-it/) [Tom Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/) > [ She \[Hillary Clinton\] put her emails on a secret server to cover up her pay-for-play scandals in the State Department. Nothing threatens the integrity… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/she-hillary-clinton-put-her-emails-on-a-secret-server-to-cover-up-her/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In 30 years of public service, I have had no scandals. I have high ethical standards. I am most proud of my judgement, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-30-years-of-public-service-i-have-had-no-scandals-i-have-high/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Today, the news is scandals; that is news, but the many children who don't have food - that's not news. This is grave. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/today-the-news-is-scandals-that-is-news-but-the-many-children-who-don/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral. … And having these kinds of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ensign/there-s-too-many-people-that-paint-with-a-broad-brush-that-we-re-all/) [John Ensign](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ensign/) > [Watching 'Scandal' is a fun and exciting guilty pleasure, which is how I imagine most real scandals start out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/watching-scandal-is-a-fun-and-exciting-guilty-pleasure-which-is-how-i/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [I love scandals about other people, but scandals about myself don’t interest me. They have not got the charm of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-love-scandals-about-other-people-but-scandals-about-myself-don-t/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [These White House scandals are not going away anytime soon. People in Kenya are now saying he's 100 percent American. That's how bad it's gotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/these-white-house-scandals-are-not-going-away-anytime-soon-people-in/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [We assume that politicians are without honor. We read their statements trying to crack the code. The scandals of their politics: not so much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/we-assume-that-politicians-are-without-honor-we-read-their-statements/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [ I'm a professional at \[drinking\], so that's why I've never had scandals before. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/i-m-a-professional-at-drinking-so-that-s-why-i-ve-never-had-scandals/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [Even if you're an adult you still have secrets and scandals following you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/even-if-you-re-an-adult-you-still-have-secrets-and-scandals-following/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [I live in a zoo I run scandals with savages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cam-ron/i-live-in-a-zoo-i-run-scandals-with-savages/) [Cam'ron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cam-ron/) > [It's incumbent on the President to entertain. Clinton did a better job of it - and was forgiven for the scandals, incidentally. Bush is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-s-incumbent-on-the-president-to-entertain-clinton-did-a-better-job/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [People who don't like scandals shouldn't be in finance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-stead/people-who-don-t-like-scandals-shouldn-t-be-in-finance/) [Christina Stead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-stead/) > [Every popular zillion dollar sport has its share of personal scandals around the sport and its leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/every-popular-zillion-dollar-sport-has-its-share-of-personal-scandals/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) ## More by Tom Petri > [It isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/it-isn-t-the-original-scandal-that-gets-people-in-the-most-trouble-it/) [Tom Petri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/) [Explore all 2 Tom Petri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/) ## More Cover ups quotes > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [At the heart of the gay marriage argument is an untruth: unions of two men or women are not the same as unions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gallagher/at-the-heart-of-the-gay-marriage-argument-is-an-untruth-unions-of-two/) [Maggie Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gallagher/) > [If it suddenly became impossible for us to cover up all the junk we normally hide from the rest of humanity, I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/if-it-suddenly-became-impossible-for-us-to-cover-up-all-the-junk-we/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Every addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through your own pain. Every addiction starts with pain and ends with pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/every-addiction-arises-from-an-unconscious-refusal-to-face-and-move/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Cynics and critics wake us up. Kindness often covers up the truth and allows us to sleep on in our ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilferd-peterson/cynics-and-critics-wake-us-up-kindness-often-covers-up-the-truth-and/) [Wilferd Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilferd-peterson/) > [Most people use excuses to cover up mistakes, but it takes less time to do something right the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cheeke/most-people-use-excuses-to-cover-up-mistakes-but-it-takes-less-time/) [Robert Cheeke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cheeke/) > [ Before, the myth of photography doesn't lie was used in order to cover up tricks. If I \[make a\] portrait \[of\] you, accommodate you,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-meyer/before-the-myth-of-photography-doesn-t-lie-was-used-in-order-to-cover/) [Pedro Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-meyer/) > [It was easy to cover up ignorance by the mystical word "intuition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-asimov/it-was-easy-to-cover-up-ignorance-by-the-mystical-word-intuition/) [Isaac Asimov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-asimov/) > [ Playing the guitar is like telling the truth - you never have to worry about repeating the same \[lie\] if you told the truth.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-b-king/playing-the-guitar-is-like-telling-the-truth-you-never-have-to-worry/) [B. B. 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In one song, something wrong happened with the drum machine. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violante-placido/i-did-a-smaller-gig-with-an-acoustic-guitar-and-a-drum-machine-in-one/) [Violante Placido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violante-placido/) > [The history of successful cases, some of which are in this museum, illustrates that often the regulators and legislatures don't wake up until some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-nader/the-history-of-successful-cases-some-of-which-are-in-this-museum/) [Ralph Nader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-nader/) > [I keep having the urge to cross my hands over my chest, to cover up my breasts, to hide. I'm suddenly aware of how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-keep-having-the-urge-to-cross-my-hands-over-my-chest-to-cover-up-my/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) [Browse all 151 Cover ups quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-ups/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most trouble - it's the attempted cover-up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Petri" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scandals-it-isn-t-the-original/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cover ups" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scandals-it-isn-t-the-original/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/223/tom-petri-93094_cover-ups_as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scan_833952.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As so often happens with Washington scandals, it isn't the original scandal that gets people in the most…” — Tom Petri", "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": "Tom Petri", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As so often happens with Washington...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scandals-it-isn-t-the-original/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petri/as-so-often-happens-with-washington-scandals-it-isn-t-the-original/#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 } } ] } ```