Report Makes Claim About Harris Congressional Testimony
In April 2007, then-District Attorney Kamala Harris appeared before Congress in support of the John R. Justice Prosecutors and Defenders Incentive Act, a bipartisan bill that sought to establish a student loan repayment program for state and local prosecutors.
Harris argued that the heavy burden of law school debt often pushed talented prosecutors into the private sector for higher salaries, leaving public offices under-resourced and forcing less experienced lawyers to handle complex and high-stakes cases.
In her testimony, Harris highlighted the importance of retaining seasoned legal professionals in roles that deal with serious criminal cases such as child abuse, elder neglect, and public corruption. By alleviating some of the financial strain on public defenders and prosecutors through loan forgiveness, the bill aimed to attract and retain top legal talent, ensuring that critical cases received the attention of skilled professionals.
BREAKING: British advisors to Kamala Harris seek to "K*ll Musk's Twitter" in newly leaked documents obtained by @thackerpd.
According to the documents, the Center for Countering Digital Hate wants to "trigger regulatory action" to "k*ll" X.
The group hopes to accomplish the… https://t.co/xc85wRAmDN pic.twitter.com/VaI2DEXhh7
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 22, 2024
Yet, beneath the surface of her support for the bill, Harris’s testimony bore striking similarities to an earlier statement made by Illinois District Attorney Paul Logli. Both used the same surveys, language, and arguments in nearly identical order, with even typographical errors carried over.
While this mirroring of content may have stemmed from shared research via the National District Attorneys Association, the nearly verbatim replication highlighted how extensively Harris's remarks relied on previously presented material.
Though Harris’s actions during her time as attorney general and later as senator were built on a platform of prosecutorial reform and integrity, this pattern of uncredited borrowing extended beyond her 2007 testimony.
Subsequent reports and publications by Harris, including a 2012 California human trafficking report, also revealed unacknowledged sourcing. In one instance, she recounted a fictionalized case from a nonprofit website as a real event in California, changing key details to fit her narrative.
Such examples, coming to light as she campaigned for the presidency, raise questions about her approach to the office and the broader issue of intellectual ownership in government work. While some experts dismiss these instances as minor oversights, they collectively challenge the authenticity of the candidate’s work and campaign messaging.