In a thread posted on X by investigative journalist Christopher Rufo, allegations have surfaced that Kamala Harris plagiarized substantial portions of her 2009 book, Smart on Crime. The claims stem from a review by Austrian “plagiarism hunter” Dr. Stefan Weber, who reportedly found that Harris lifted material from several sources, including Wikipedia.
One significant accusation involves Harris reproducing large portions of a press release from John Jay College of Criminal Justice without proper attribution. She and her co-author allegedly passed off the content as their own, copying several paragraphs nearly word-for-word.
Harris is also accused of copying long sections from Wikipedia, specifically in a portion of the book describing a New York court program. The use of the online encyclopedia—a source widely considered unreliable for academic work—raises additional concerns, as Harris not only relied on its content but also closely replicated its language without citation.
Further claims of plagiarism involve Harris borrowing language from a Bureau of Justice Assistance report that was linked in the Wikipedia entry she used. Additionally, Harris is accused of lifting promotional material from an Urban Institute report when describing a nonprofit organization, again without crediting the original source.
