Vice President Kamala Harris’s office is pushing back against allegations of plagiarism in her 2009 book, Smart on Crime. Campaign spokesman James Singer released a statement Tuesday, contradicting media reports from the New York Times and the New Republic that Harris had lifted passages from Wikipedia and the Associated Press.
According to Singer, the claims of plagiarism are a desperate attempt by conservative operatives to undermine Harris’s support ahead of the election. “As Trump retreats to a conservative echo chamber, refusing to face questions about his lies, right-wing operatives are getting desperate,” Singer said. “They see the bipartisan coalition of support Vice President Harris is building, and they’re trying to tear her down.”
The allegations of plagiarism were first exposed by conservative journalist Christopher Rufo, who cited research by Austrian expert on plagiarism, Dr. Stefan Weber. However, Singer argued that Harris had properly cited sources in her book, including footnotes and endnotes.
The controversy surrounding the book comes ahead of Harris’s interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier on Wednesday, and it’s unclear whether the topic will be addressed. Harris was not asked about the allegations during her Tuesday interview with Charlamagne tha God. CNN has described the scandal as an “October surprise,” a last-minute controversy that could impact the election. Harris’s office maintains that the book has been out for 15 years and that the allegations are unfounded.
