The publisher of Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris's 2009 book on criminal justice reform seems to be in "damage control mode," based on not responding to inquiries about plagiarism allegations made by a conservative activist and famous plagiarism expert. 

Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo posted screen shots of leaked internal emails at Chronicle Books that directed press inquiries to the upper levels of the organization.

Chronicle executive director of marketing and publicity Lauren Hoffman requested all inquiries be directed her way, with one employee saying they were about a "very sensitive topic."

“Kamala Harris’s publisher, Chronicle Books, is in damage control mode,” Rufo posted on X. “They know Kamala lied. They know that we know Kamala lied. In America, plagiarism has become a moral pillar of the regime—and they will slander anyone who notices.”

Rufo previously posted five of the more than a dozen examples of plagiarism found by internationally renowned expert Stefan Weber, who has taken down several politicians in Germany.

The book, "Smart on Crime," lifted language verbatim from various news reports and pretty much a whole article from Wikipedia, according to Weber.

Harris, of course, dismissed the reports.

Her spokesman James Singer said in a statement,  “This is a book that’s been out for 15 years, and the Vice President clearly cited sources and statistics in footnotes and endnotes throughout.”

The statement wasn't factual, however: the passages that were cited didn't contain any quotation marks, and one of the sources plagiarized was not cited at all.

October surprise?

Harris's ghostwriter Joan O’C. Hamilton seemed surprised about the allegations.

“Oh gosh,” she told the New York Post Monday in a brief phone call. “I haven’t seen anything. … I’m afraid I can’t talk to you right now, though, I’m in the middle of something. Let me go try to figure that out.”

The reports could be an October Surprise that helps fuel already negative views of Harris, if it isn't buried by the media.

Harris isn't the first person in her current administration to be accused of plagiarism.

President Joe Biden stole phrases from British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock in 1987. It was enough to tank his presidential chances at the time, but didn't keep him out of the race decades later.