Ashley Biden Diary Update: Florida Pair Plead Guilty In Theft Of First Daughter's Personal Property
Two Florida residents pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of stealing first daughter Ashley Biden's diary and other belongings in a scheme to sell them to the far-right activist group Project Veritas ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Prosecutors and law enforcement officials in New York said that Aimee Harris, 40, of Palm Springs, and Robert Kurlander, 58, of Jupiter, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Project Veritas reportedly paid Harris and Kurlander around $40,000 to transport the stolen items from Delray Beach, Florida, to New York state.
"Harris and Kurlander stole personal property from an immediate family member of a candidate for national political office," Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.
"Harris and Kurlander sought to profit from their theft of another person's personal property, and they now stand convicted of a federal felony as a result," Williams added.
Parts of the diary were released onto Project Veritas website during the time of the 2020 election, which led to a federal investigation of how they were able to retrieve it. Project Veritas has admitted to purchasing the diary.
Harris and Kurlander agreed to forfeit their $20,000 proceeds. They face a maximum of five years in prison, though it is unlikely they will serve that sentence.
Harris' attorney Sam Talkin said that she "has accepted responsibility for her conduct and looks forward to moving on with her life."
Project Veritas, founded by James O'Keefe in June 2010, received $6.51 million in 2020 from Milwaukee-based conservative philanthropy group Bradley Impact Fund, according to a tax filing. In 2021, Project Veritas was suspended from Twitter. The organization has been known for using deceptive practices and spreading misinformation.
Biden, 41, is the only child of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.
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