Aimee Harris, a 41-year-old American woman, was sentenced to one month in prison on April 9, 2024, for her involvement in the theft of a diary belonging to Ashley Biden, the daughter of President Joe Biden. Harris pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines in a federal court in New York.
The stolen diary had been kept at a property in Delray Beach, Florida, where Ashley Biden had stayed in 2020 while recovering from drug addiction. Harris gained access to the property at a later date with the owner’s permission, and it was then that she discovered Ms. Biden’s belongings.
Working with her co-defendant, Robert Kurlander, Harris attempted to sell the diary first to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign team and then to Project Veritas, a conservative organization known for undercover investigations targeting news outlets, government officials, and politicians. Harris received $20,000 from Project Veritas, as reported by the BBC.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who presided over the case, characterized Harris’s actions as despicable and very serious, ordering her to forfeit the money obtained from Project Veritas. Kurlander, the co-defendant, also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
Despite receiving the diary, Project Veritas chose not to publish its contents and instead handed it over to authorities. During the hearing, Harris apologized to Ashley Biden for her actions.
Prosecutors involved in the case emphasized that Harris’s motivation stemmed from both financial gain and political objectives. They condemned her actions as wrong and illegal, asserting that stealing personal belongings of a candidate’s family member to exploit them for political purposes was unacceptable regardless of any political agenda.
