Allegations of Plagiarism Against Kamala Harris: A Threat to Her Campaign Integrity

Kamala Harris Plagiarized Pages of Congressional Testimony From a Republican Colleague. Plus, a Fictionalized Story About Human Trafficking. 🔗

On April 24, 2007, Kamala Harris testified before Congress in support of the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act of 2007. The bill, which was introduced that year but never passed the upper chamber, would have created a student loan repayment program for state and local prosecutors, and Harris, then the district attorney of San Francisco, argued it would draw top legal talent to offices like hers.

Kamala Harris faced allegations of plagiarism regarding her congressional testimony and various reports from her tenure as California Attorney General. Most notably, during her 2007 testimony in support of the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act, she copied significant portions of another district attorney's statement without proper attribution. This included nearly 80% of her remarks, which were almost identical to those of Republican Paul Logli. Additionally, Harris has been criticized for using fictionalized stories from the Polaris Project about human trafficking in her reports, misrepresenting them as real cases from California. Despite prior claims that her copying was unintentional and minor, investigations suggest a more extensive pattern of lifting material from other legal professionals and sources, raising questions about her integrity and originality as a candidate.

Kamala Harris plagiarized parts of her 2007 congressional testimony.
Most of her statements were nearly identical to those made by another district attorney.
She misrepresented fictional stories about human trafficking as real cases in her reports.
Concerns over her plagiarism may impact her campaign's credibility and message of integrity.

What were the main allegations against Kamala Harris regarding plagiarism?

Harris was accused of copying significant portions of another district attorney's congressional testimony and using fictionalized accounts from the Polaris Project in her own reports without proper citation.

How much of Harris's testimony was copied from Paul Logli?

Approximately 80% of Harris's testimony in support of the John R. Justice Act was copied verbatim from Logli's earlier statement.

What impact could these allegations have on Harris's campaign?

The plagiarism allegations could undermine her campaign message of honesty and integrity, particularly as she positions herself as a candidate focused on prosecuting child sex crimes.