This paper involves an extended study of the Andrew Wakefield vaccine case as an illustration of three ethotic phenomena: (i) the creation of ethos in the face of attack; (ii) attacks on that expert by other members of the relevant scientific community; and (iii) the extension of ethos to experts from a lay audience. This last is particularly fascinating insofar as it demonstrates the durability of trust that a specific audience continues to have in Wakefield’s expertise. The nature and ground of that trust will be explored