Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
—Proverbs 12:22
John Adams was the second president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was the third. They died on the same day, July 4, 1826, the last two living signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Back story. The peace treaty with France, the Treaty of Môrtefontaine, was primarily the work of Adams. Foreign correspondence commonly took three to six months for delivery back then. It is widely believed that if knowledge of the treaty had been known before the 1800 presidential election, Adams would have won a second term. Instead, the presidency went to Jefferson.
Without evaluating his personal integrity here, Jefferson had something to say about elections that is worthy of attention. He opined that the only questions concerning a candidate for office should be: 1) Is he honest? 2) Is he capable? 3) Is he faithful to the Constitution?
Moral authority is rooted in integrity.