Another rising star, Kwame M. Kilpatrick, has fallen. The young major of Detroit resigned this week amidst a sex scandal that began early this year.

It started when Kwame M. Kilpatrick testified under oath in a wrongful dismissal suit brought by three city police officers. In the testimony, Mr. Kilpatrick lied about his extramarital affairs with his Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty.

In an effort to cover it up, the mayor used $8.4 million of city fund to buy the silence of the police officers. He had hoped to avoid the disclosure of the affair in court testimony with that settlement.

Then the city newspaper, The Detroit Free Press, published hot text messages between the mayor and Ms. Beatty. The text messages sent with city-owned pager revealed the romance and contradicted the testimony both the major and Ms. Beatty gave under oath.

The two-term mayor was charged with eight felonies that included perjury, misconduct in office and obstruction of justice.

In a deal struck in court this week, Mr. Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two felony charges of obstructing justice. He will lose his law license, repay the city $1 million, serve 120 days in jail and forfeit his state pension.

All these for what?

It is not for having sex with an aide. It is never about sex. It is all for covering it up.

Just like Bill Clinton before him and many other politicians, the crime is never the first act. It is what follows after.

An advice I once heard was that before you do something, think of how it will look on the front pages of your local newspaper the next day. If you are okay with it, go ahead and do it. If not, desist.

Of course, I know that politicians think differently. I know that they believe they can always get away with anything.

The truth is that most often they don’t.

Jay Leno often says that when he meets an attractive woman and is tempted, the question he asks himself is, “Is she worth losing half of my wealth?”

If the answer is no, he cautions himself and do the right thing.

Is lying under oath about Ms. Beatty worth all that Mr. Kilpatrick lost? My answer is no. What is yours?