
Vice President Kamala Harris is facing accusations of plagiarism in her 2009 book Smart on Crime, and her publisher, Chronicle Books, is reportedly scrambling to manage the situation. Conservative journalist Christopher Rufo first broke the story, alleging that multiple passages in Harris’ book were copied from other sources without proper acknowledgment.
Rufo also revealed that Chronicle Books mistakenly sent him an internal email outlining their damage-control plan. The email instructed staff to avoid responding to questions about the plagiarism allegations and to refer all inquiries to senior management. Rufo shared the email online, which quickly garnered attention.
Major media outlets picked up the story, but many seemed more focused on discrediting Rufo than addressing the plagiarism claims. The New York Times called it a conservative effort to attack Harris, while admitting that some passages in her book were copied. A plagiarism expert interviewed by the Times labeled the issue as a minor mistake.
Conservatives, however, see this as more than just an oversight. Rufo mocked the media’s response, saying they acknowledged the plagiarism but downplayed its significance. He criticized the media for protecting Harris by framing the story as a conservative hit piece.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) also chimed in, saying, “I wrote my own book, unlike Kamala Harris, who copied hers from Wikipedia.” The plagiarism scandal could further complicate Harris’ path as she campaigns for the presidency.