Who said …"Fraud vitiates everything"
(often phrased as "fraud vitiates all" or "fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters") is a long-standing legal maxim rather than a quote from a single individual. However, it is frequently attributed to early U.S. Supreme Court cases that established this principle, most notably:
Boyce v. Grundy, 3 Pet. 210 (1830): The U.S. Supreme Court explicitly stated that "Fraud vitiates everything".
Nudd v. Burrows, 91 U.S. 426 (1875): The Court noted that "Fraud destroys the validity of everything into which it enters".
United States v. Throckmorton, 98 U.S. 61 (1878): The Court stated, "Fraud vitiates the most solemn contracts, documents and even judgments".
Meaning: The phrase originates from the Latin legal term fraus omnia vitiat. It signifies that any legal act, contract, or judgment tainted by fraud is void and has no legal force, as fraud destroys the foundation of justice.