A Florida mother has been sentenced to a month in prison and three months of home confinement for stealing and selling President Joe Biden’s daughter’s diary four years ago. The diary was sold to the conservative group Project Veritas.
Aimee Harris received her sentencing in Manhattan federal court from Judge Laura Taylor Swain, who strongly condemned the actions of the woman from Palm Beach, Florida, as “despicable.”
In August 2022, Harris admitted her guilt to a conspiracy charge. She confessed to receiving $20,000 from Project Veritas as payment for personal items belonging to Ashley Biden, the president’s daughter.
Project Veritas, established in 2010, presents itself as a news organization. Its notable reputation stems from its utilization of hidden camera stings, which have caused embarrassment for news outlets, labor organizations, and Democratic politicians.
In a tearful statement, Harris expressed her remorse for allowing the sale of Ashley Biden’s personal writings. She discovered the diary and other belongings at a friend’s residence in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2020. Ashley Biden had believed that her items were being kept safe at that location during her temporary stay in the spring of 2020.
“I am not someone who thinks I can evade the law,” Harris asserted, responding to a prosecutor’s call for a prison term. This came after she missed several sentencing dates, claiming that she was fully occupied with tending to her two young children, aged 8 and 6.”
“I endured long-term domestic abuse and sexual trauma,” she disclosed to the judge.
Harris expressed her apologies to Ashley Biden, with a lawyer representing her present in the spectator section of the courtroom. She acknowledged her regret for exposing Ashley’s childhood and personal life to the public.
Swain pointed out in her announcement of the sentence that Harris and his co-defendant, Robert Kurlander from Jupiter, Florida, initially attempted to sell Ashley Biden’s belongings to then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign but were unsuccessful.
According to the judge, Harris had not only been driven by greed but also had aspirations to influence the political landscape of the nation.
Kurlander, who has not yet received a sentence, and Harris, have both admitted guilt for conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines.
Defense attorney Anthony Cecutti argued against imposing a prison sentence, emphasizing his client’s tumultuous past and her determination to nurture her children while recovering from a history of abuse and violence.
“He claimed that she bears the burden of shame and stigma due to her actions.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman argued for a prison sentence, emphasizing that Harris consistently showed a lack of regard for the law and the justice system.
According to Sobelman, Ms. Biden should be seen as the victim in this case, not Ms. Harris.
In the summer of 2020, it was alleged that Harris had taken Ashley Biden’s diary, a digital storage card, books, clothing, luggage, and anything she could lay her hands on. The motive behind her actions was believed to be driven by a desire to maximize her financial gains.
“She had a desire to harm Ms. Biden’s father,” he stated.
Harris was instructed to report to prison in July. As she departed from the courthouse, she chose not to make any statements.
The lawyer representing Ashley Biden chose not to provide a comment. However, he did send a letter to the judge on behalf of his client one day prior, which has not yet been included in the court record.
