Woman who stole Ashley Biden’s diary sentenced to month in prison

Lauren Sforza
·2 min read
994
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A Florida woman who stole Ashley Biden’s diary in 2020 was sentenced to one month in prison Tuesday.

Prosecutors accused Aimee Harris of stealing the president’s daughter’s diary in September 2020 while she was temporarily staying at Ashley Biden’s residence in Delray Beach, Fla. The diary contained “highly personal entries” as well as tax records, a cellphone and family photographs, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Harris enlisted Robert Kurlander to assist her efforts, and they each pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in 2022. Project Veritas, based in New York, paid Harris and Kurlander $20,000 each for the diary and other materials, which the two returned to Florida to obtain.

Nicholas Biase, the chief of public affairs for the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York, confirmed Harris was sentenced to one month in prison and three years of supervised release to The Hill. Kurlander has not been sentenced yet.

Project Veritas describes itself as a news outlet but has faced some controversy for its sting operations and sending staffers undercover to record sources. The DOJ raided two locations in November 2021 tied to Project Veritas and the organization’s founder, James O’Keefe.

While Project Veritas did not publish the diary, another website did.

Judge Laura Taylor Swain described Harris’s actions as “despicable” during the sentencing at a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Harris apologized to Ashley Biden during the sentencing and said she regretted her actions, according to the AP.

The DOJ sought a sentence of four to 10 months of imprisonment for Harris, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a letter sent to the judge last week. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman argued Tuesday that Harris showed a “pattern of disrespect for the law and the justice system,” the AP reported.

Harris’s lawyers asked for no prison time, with defense attorney Anthony Cecutti saying she “carries the shame and stigma of her actions,” the AP reported.

The Hill has reached out to Cecutti for comment.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.