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Harris Caught Up In Major New Scandal Weeks Before Election Day

By NATION

In a bombshell report released on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris has been accused of plagiarizing substantial portions of her book, Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer. The revelation, reported by conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo, sparked controversy as Harris returned to the campaign trail.

Rufo, known for his investigative work, highlighted multiple instances of alleged plagiarism in Harris’s book, which she co-authored with ghostwriter Joan O’C Hamilton. Originally published in 2009, the book played a significant role in establishing Harris’s reputation in criminal justice reform during her campaign for California Attorney General. However, recent analysis has uncovered that key sections of the book appear to have been copied from various sources, including media outlets, government reports, and even Wikipedia.



One of the initial allegations detailed by Rufo suggests that Harris copied entire passages discussing high school graduation rates from an uncited report by NBC News. The text in question closely resembles a section from an AP/NBC News report, including specific statistics on graduation rates in major U.S. cities. According to Rufo’s findings, this material was included in her book without proper attribution.

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One of the most notable instances of plagiarism identified involves text taken from a press release by John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In her book, Harris discusses a drug prevention strategy implemented in High Point, North Carolina, which was originally detailed in the press release. Rufo points out that Harris and her co-author did not provide any attribution, instead presenting the detailed language as their own. This included entire paragraphs outlining the results of the strategy, the locations where it had been replicated, and claims of its success in reducing crime rates.

Rufo noted this discrepancy in his report, writing, “Kamala Harris has become famous, in part, for her unique rhetorical style. She switches freely between various accents and peppers her speeches with catchphrases: pondering falling ‘out of a coconut tree,’ discussing ‘the significance of the passage of time,’ and moving the nation toward ‘what can be, unburdened by what has been.’”

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the allegations is the revelation that Harris relied on Wikipedia, a notoriously unreliable source, for portions of her book. In her discussion of a New York court program, Harris allegedly copied entire passages from a Wikipedia entry. Not only did she fail to properly cite the source, but she also neglected to verify the accuracy of the information presented. Rufo noted that Harris incorrectly referenced a figure related to illegal vending in the city, stemming from a flawed interpretation of the Wikipedia entry she copied.

In another section of the book, Harris reportedly used language from a Bureau of Justice Assistance report that was linked within the same Wikipedia entry. This report provided detailed descriptions of crime reduction initiatives in various cities, including West Palm Beach, Florida, which Harris allegedly reproduced verbatim in her book without giving credit.





Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.