
Chronicle Books is working to contain the damage after Vice President Kamala Harris was accused of plagiarism in her 2009 book Smart on Crime. The allegations, brought to light by conservative journalist Christopher Rufo, suggest that several sections of the book were copied from other sources without proper citation.
In a twist, Rufo revealed that Chronicle Books accidentally sent him an internal email outlining their response strategy. The email, from the company’s VP of Marketing, instructed staff not to respond to any questions about the plagiarism and to forward all inquiries to top executives.
Rufo’s report quickly spread, but the mainstream media appeared more focused on discrediting him than addressing the plagiarism itself. The New York Times described the situation as a conservative attack, while admitting that some passages were indeed copied. A plagiarism expert quoted in the article claimed the copying was an “error” rather than an attempt to deceive.
Conservative commentators blasted the media for what they see as a blatant attempt to shield Harris from accountability. Rufo called out the media’s framing of the story, saying they downplayed the plagiarism by labeling it a minor mistake.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) joined the criticism, taking a swipe at Harris by saying he wrote his own book, unlike the vice president, who allegedly lifted parts of hers from online sources. The controversy comes as Harris faces increased scrutiny during her presidential campaign.