Aimee Harris, a Florida mother, was sentenced to one month in prison and three months of home confinement for stealing and selling President Joe Biden’s daughter’s diary to Project Veritas. She pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in August 2022, admitting to receiving $20,000 of the $40,000 paid by Project Veritas for personal items belonging to Ashley Biden. Project Veritas is a conservative group that identifies as a news organization and is known for conducting hidden camera stings targeting news outlets, labor organizations, and Democratic politicians.
Harris found the diary and other items at a friend’s house in 2020 where prosecutors said Ashley Biden believed her items were safely stored. Harris tearfully apologized for enabling Ashley Biden’s private writings to be sold, acknowledging that her actions were “despicable.” She apologized to Ashley Biden in court, expressing regret over making her childhood and life public. Harris also revealed that she is a survivor of long-term domestic abuse and sexual trauma, which she says contributed to her actions.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain sentenced Harris and a co-defendant, Robert Kurlander, to prison for their role in the scheme. Kurlander, of nearby Jupiter, Florida, has not yet been sentenced. Harris and Kurlander tried unsuccessfully to sell Ashley Biden’s belongings to then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign before turning to Project Veritas. The judge noted that Harris was motivated by greed and her desire to impact the nation’s political landscape.
Defense attorney Anthony Cecutti argued against prison time for Harris, citing her traumatic life experiences and the fact that she was caring for her two young children while recovering from abuse and violence. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman pushed for a prison sentence, emphasizing that Ashley Biden was the true victim in this case. Sobelman stated that Harris stole various items belonging to Ashley Biden, including her diary, in an effort to make as much money as she could and damage President Biden politically. Harris was ordered to report to prison in July.
As Harris left the courthouse, she declined to speak to the press. The lawyer for Ashley Biden also refrained from commenting, though he had submitted a letter to the judge on behalf of his client the day before the sentencing. The case highlights the consequences of betraying someone’s privacy and selling their personal belongings for profit, as well as the impact that traumatic life experiences can have on an individual’s actions. Harris’s sentence serves as a reminder that violating the law has consequences, regardless of one’s personal circumstances.
