"Lend credence" is an underhanded phrasing given that it can mean both "consider it more credible in theories" vs "associating with the evil crackpot makes him

"Lend credence" is an underhanded phrasing given that it can mean both "consider it more credible in theories" vs "associating with the evil crackpot makes him look more credible". One can argue a responsiblity to avoid both but the two are not at all identical - one is a corruption of their output while the other is essentially a confidence trick like saying a Harvard professor supports homeopathy - ignoring that it was a Philosophy professor and not Biology or Medical. Bad for the institutional reputation but doesn't discredit the work in itself.