Vice President Kamala Harris’ book Smart on Crime is at the center of a plagiarism scandal, and her publisher, Chronicle Books, appears to be scrambling to manage the fallout. Conservative journalist Christopher Rufo revealed the alleged plagiarism, which involves sections of the book closely mirroring other sources.
Rufo also shared that Chronicle Books accidentally forwarded him an internal email meant for staff, outlining the company’s crisis response. The email, sent from the publisher’s VP of Marketing, advised employees to avoid commenting on the plagiarism allegations and to forward all media inquiries to the higher-ups.
After Rufo shared the email online, the media picked up the story, but with a twist. Major outlets like the New York Times criticized Rufo for bringing attention to the plagiarism issue, calling it a “conservative attack.” The Times consulted a plagiarism expert who admitted that some passages were copied but deemed it a minor error.
Conservatives, however, see the situation differently. Many argue that the media is trying to protect Harris by downplaying the significance of the plagiarism. Rufo sarcastically noted that the media labeled his report as conservatives “pouncing” on the issue while admitting that Harris did, in fact, plagiarize.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) weighed in on the controversy, saying he wrote his own book, unlike Harris, who allegedly copied parts of hers. The plagiarism scandal could hurt Harris’ credibility as she campaigns for the White House.
