Staff Reports
The latest scandal surrounding Vice President Kamala Harris is one that might have even the most seasoned politicos chuckling in disbelief. After allegations surfaced about significant plagiarism in her 2009 book on criminal justice reform, the publisher, Chronicle Books, appears to be scrambling to contain the fallout. It’s hard to blame them; getting caught in the crossfire of a vice presidential plagiarism scandal is not exactly on anyone’s bucket list.
This entire drama unfolded when Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a prominent conservative activist, leaked internal emails from Chronicle Books that reveal an obvious case of damage control. Requests for comment were redirected up the chain to the top brass, as if they were trying to hide a dirty little secret rather than address legitimate concerns about the integrity of a book authored by a sitting vice president. It’s going to be difficult to keep a secret when the stakes are this high and the spotlight is on so luminously.
Kamala Harris' book publisher in 'damage control mode' after plagiarism accusations, reporter says https://t.co/6uPeo4ljxD
— Just the News (@JustTheNews) October 15, 2024
Rufo further threw the gauntlet down by sharing examples of the alleged plagiarism, boasting of the work done by plagiarism expert Stefan Weber, known for exposing wrongdoing in Germany. The specifics are downright humorous: “Smart on Crime” reportedly utilized sentences lifted directly from various news reports and even an entire Wikipedia article. It’s the kind of thing that would make a high school English teacher weep if she ever laid eyes on it during a grading session. As they say, a leopard never changes its spots; and it seems that Harris might be just another politician with a penchant for cutting corners.
Given the nature of the allegations, Harris tried to play it cool, dismissing the claims as irrelevant due to the book’s age. Her spokesman chimed in, sputtering about sources and footnotes while ignoring the glaring absence of quotation marks and the apparent omission of key sources. It’s a classic “who can we fool today” approach that those in the leftist elite often employ, hoping that the average American won’t bother to dissect their claims. Spoiler alert: the American people are far more discerning than they give them credit for.
In a particularly ironic twist, Harris’s ghostwriter Joan O’C. Hamilton appeared shocked when confronted with the plagiarism allegations, effectively leaving many to wonder if she too was left in the dark. Talk about a classic case of deflection—if a ghostwriter is in the dark, what does that say about the author? The media may choose to sweep this under the rug, but if history is any guide, this type of faux pas could pack more punch than an October surprise, especially for a vice president whose approval ratings have already been on shaky ground.
Plagiarism isn’t exactly a novel concept in American politics—but for Harris, it’s just another addition to the extensive resume of faux pas that seems to plague the Biden administration. The irony is palpable; Biden has his own plagiarism skeleton rattling around from the late 80s, but a little thing like that never stopped him from running again. If Harris wants to dodge a sinking ship, she better hope this scandal doesn’t turn into an anchor dragging along behind her campaign—because the voters are watching, and they’re not laughing.
