A mother has been jailed for a month after stealing a newspaper belonging to US President Joe Biden’s daughter and selling it to a right-wing activist group.
Aimee Harris initially attempted to sell Ashley Biden’s private writings to that of Donald Trump campaign for the 2020 presidential election.
Ms. Biden’s father ran against then-President Mr. Trump in that year’s election.
Harris was in tears in court as she apologized for selling the newspaper to the conservative group Project Veritas, adding that she regretted making Ms. Biden’s life and childhood public.
A lawyer for the president’s daughter watched from the spectator section of Manhattan federal court.
Harris had found the diary and other items at a friend’s home in Delray Beach, Florida, in 2020.
Prosecutors said Ms. Biden believed her items were safely stored there after staying at the property herself in the spring of that year.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman said Harris stole her planner, a digital storage card, books, clothing, luggage and “anything else she could get her hands on” in hopes that she “could make as much money as she could.”
“She wanted to harm Ms. Biden’s father,” he said.
The mother-of-two pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in August 2022, admitting she received $20,000 (£15,765) of the $40,000 (£31,530) paid by Project Veritas for the personal items belonging to Mrs. Biden.
Project Veritas, founded in 2010, identifies itself as a news organization. He is best known for leading hidden camera operations that embarrassed the media, labor organizations and Democratic politicians.
Harris told the court she did not believe she was “above the law” after a prosecutor asked for a prison sentence after she failed to show up for numerous sentencing dates.
She said she could not appear because she was busy looking after her two children, aged eight and six.
Harris told Judge Laura Taylor Swain in Manhattan federal court: “I am a survivor of domestic violence and long-term sexual trauma.”
Sentencing her to one month in prison and three months of home confinement for stealing the items, Judge Swan described Harris’ crimes as “despicable”.
In announcing the sentence, the judge noted that Harris and a co-defendant, Robert Kurlander, of Jupiter, Fla., initially tried unsuccessfully to sell Ms. Biden’s assets to the Trump 2020 campaign.
The judge said Harris, in addition to being motivated by greed, had hoped to have an impact on the country’s political landscape.
Kurlander, who has not yet been sentenced, and Harris, had each pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen property across state lines.
Learn more:
Arizona court rules Civil War-era law can be used to ban abortion
Alleged leader of ‘apocalyptic’ sect on trial for child murder
Stabbed police dog rescued after being rushed to hospital
Defense attorney Anthony Cecutti said Harris should not serve prison time, saying she had lived a traumatic life and needed to care for her children while recovering from the abuse and violence.
“She carries the shame and stigma of her actions,” he said.
However, Mr Sobelman called for a prison sentence, saying Harris had shown a “lack of respect for the law and the justice system”.
“Ms. Harris is not the victim in this case,” Mr. Sobelman said. “Ms. Biden is the victim in this matter.”
Harris was asked to report to prison in July.
As she left the court, she refused to speak.