above suspicion

Idioms and Phrases

So trustworthy as never to be suspected of wrongdoing, as in “The wife of Caesar must be above suspicion” (Charles Merivale, A History of the Romans under the Empire , 1850). The phrase was given further currency when it was used for the title of a very popular World War II spy film starring Joan Crawford ( Above Suspicion , 1943). A similar idiom using above in the sense of “beyond” is above the law , usually describing an individual or business behaving as though exempt from rules or laws that apply to others.

Example Sentences

In other words they, as in the time-honoured adage about Caesar’s wife, must be above suspicion.

From BBC

Mudd solved his problem by sending his cousin George, a loyal Unionist and therefore above suspicion by the federal authorities, to town to report Booth’s visit to Mudd’s farm.

From Literature

The fiction that the nine Justices are above being policed is paramount—the Justices were questioned in the investigation of the leak, but it was deemed unnecessary to ask them to sign sworn affidavits—and the public is asked to trust they are above suspicion.

From Slate

Further, it’s not as if the justices are above suspicion.

From Washington Post

“The lesson from a special counsel’s perspective is, you’ve got to be tough from the beginning and you’ve got to be above suspicion yourself, because you’re going to be attacked,” said Mr. Wisenberg.

From New York Times