“Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation”

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is credited with saying “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation” (or “Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad”). Kissinger served in the Nixon administration before, during and after Watergate, but there’s no evidence that Kissinger said anything like this at that time or even much later.
 
Kissinger was attributed with “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation” in 1985 and “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad name” in 1986.
 
 
Wikipedia: Henry Kissinger
Henry Alfred Kissinger (pronounced /ˈkɪsɪndʒər/; born May 27, 1923) is a German-born American political scientist, diplomat, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. After his term, his opinion was still sought out by many following presidents.
 
A proponent of Realpolitik, Kissinger played a dominant role in United States foreign policy between 1969 and 1977. During this period, he pioneered the policy of détente with the Soviet Union, orchestrated the opening of relations with the People’s Republic of China, and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, ending American involvement in the Vietnam War. His role in the bombing of Cambodia and other American interventions abroad during this period remains controversial.
 
Wikiquote: Corruption
Unsourced
“Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.”
–Henry A. Kissinger
     
Wikiquote; Talk:Henry Kissinger   
Unsourced 
Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.
. Variant: Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.
 
Google Books
CMG ... conference proceedings.
By International Conference on the Management and Performance Evaluation of Computer Systems.; Computer Measurement Group.
Alexandria, VA: Computer Measurement Group
1985
Pg. 549:
Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.
Henry Kissinger
 
Google Books
Roast of the Town
By Joey Adams
New York, NY: Prentice Hall
1986
Pg. 18:
HENRY KISSINGER: “Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad name.”
 
Google Books
1,911 Best Things Anybody Ever Said:
Many amusingly illuminated by antique etchings and line cuts

By Robert Byrne
New York, NY: Fawcett, Columbine
1988
Pg. 230:
Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation.
Henry Kissinger