Controversy Erupts Over Plagiarism Claims in Kamala Harris’ Book

Controversy Erupts Over Plagiarism Claims in Kamala Harris' Book

Concerns around Kamala Harris’ 2009 book “Smart on Crime” arise amid plagiarism allegations by a conservative activist, casting uncertainty on her political future.

At a Glance

  • Christopher Rufo accused Harris of plagiarism in her 2009 book.
  • Several sections allegedly mirror existing sources.
  • Chronicle Books is investigating the claims cautiously.
  • Harris’ team calls the allegations politically motivated.

Allegations Emerge

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo brought to light potential instances of plagiarism in Vice President Kamala Harris’ book, “Smart on Crime.” The book, published in 2009, was written during Harris’ tenure as San Francisco District Attorney. Rufo’s claims focus on allegedly plagiarized content from reports and Wikipedia, amounting to about 500 words across five sections.

Rufo made his allegations known by sharing screenshots of emails from Chronicle Books. These emails suggest the publisher is addressing the issue with sensitivity, emphasizing that all inquiries should be directed to executive higher-ups.

Details of the Accusations

Rufo argued that portions of Harris’ book borrowed content from official reports and academic articles without proper quotation marks. Specific sources reportedly affected include a 2000 Bureau of Justice Assistance report and a 2008 Wikipedia article. While Rufo continued to highlight these overlaps, a review by the New York Times concluded these instances centered on description and statistics, not genuine plagiarism.

“This amount of plagiarism amounts to an error and not an intent to defraud.”

Plagiarism consultant Jonathan Bailey labeled the findings as citation errors rather than intentional deceit. Furthermore, Bailey criticized Rufo for exaggerating the significance of the alleged mistakes.

Implications and Reactions

The allegations against Harris echo past controversies faced by political figures, notably President Biden’s plagiarism allegations. As election day nears, implications could impact Harris’ voter appeal. Her campaign attributed the accusations to political motivations, pointing to her book’s citations in footnotes and endnotes.

“Oh gosh,” Joan O’C. Hamilton told The Post on a brief phone call Monday. “I haven’t seen anything. … I’m afraid I can’t talk to you right now, though, I’m in the middle of something. Let me go try to figure that out.”

Despite these defenses, the allegations continue to garner attention. Conservative figures, including the Trump campaign and JD Vance, seize opportunities to question Harris’ authenticity.

Sources

1. Kamala Harris’ book publisher directing ‘very sensitive’ plagiarism questions to higher-ups

2. Conservative Activist Seizes on Passages From Harris Book