Kamala Harris accused of plagiarizing sections of her book 'Smart on Crime'

Vice President Kamala Harris is facing allegations of plagiarism in her book, Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer. According to a recent investigation led by journalist Christopher Rufo, significant portions of the book were copied from various sources without proper attribution.

Rufo's findings suggest that Harris plagiarized content from Wikipedia, press releases, news reports, and other documents. This controversy emerges as a potential "October surprise" just weeks before the 2024 presidential election.

Key Accusations

Rufo’s investigation claims that Harris lifted material from at least twelve different sources. Among these instances, a notable example includes a section allegedly taken verbatim from a press release by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Additionally, Harris is accused of copying a report from NBC News on high school graduation rates without proper citation.

Expert Analysis

Stefan Weber, a well-known "plagiarism hunter" who has exposed similar cases involving politicians in Germany, collaborated with Rufo on the investigation. Weber identified over a dozen instances of what he calls "vicious plagiarism fragments" in Harris' book.

Examples of Plagiarism

One of the most striking instances involves a section that Harris supposedly copied almost word-for-word from a Wikipedia article, including a factual error present on the page at the time. Another example involves material taken from a Bureau of Justice Assistance report on crime statistics for West Palm Beach.

Rufo commented, “They not only lifted material from sources without proper attribution, but in at least one case, relied on a low-quality source, which potentially undermined the accuracy of their conclusion.”

Implications

These allegations could significantly impact Harris' campaign as she runs for president. The accusation of plagiarism, especially in a book focused on criminal justice, raises questions about her integrity and credibility.

The Democrats are yet to issue a formal response to these allegations. As the 2024 election approaches, this controversy could influence public perception and voter decisions.