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ABC News just published a bruising report on Thursday, exposing Kamala Harris for inflating her prosecutorial record when she was running for San Francisco district attorney over 20 years ago. The report begins:
In 2003, during Kamala Harris’ run for San Francisco district attorney, her campaign sent out mailers promoting her candidacy that touted her record as a prosecutor with “thirteen years of courtroom experience.”
The mailers, copies of which ABC News has obtained, portrayed Harris as “the veteran prosecutor we need to turn around our District Attorney office” and claimed she had a “long track record of being an outstanding public prosecutor.”
“Kamala has tried hundreds of serious and violent felonies, including homicide, rape, and child sexual assault cases,” the mailer stated.
But during a debate held in the runup to Election Day 2003 on KGO Radio, Harris’ then-opponent, veteran criminal defense attorney Bill Fazio, accused her of misleading voters about her record as a prosecutor and deputy district attorney in California’s Alameda County.
Based on an audio recording of the debate, ABC quotes Fazio as asking Harris, “How many cases have you tried? Can you tell us how many serious felonies you have tried? Can you tell us one?”
Harris responded, “I’ve tried about 50 cases, Mr. Fazio, and it’s about leadership.”
But Fazio was not to be deterred, and confronted her with her own campaign literature where she claimed to have a more extensive prosecutorial record.
Fazio: “Ms. Harris, why does your information, which is still published, say that you tried hundreds of serious felonies? I think that’s misleading. I think that’s disingenuous. I think that shows that you are incapable of leadership and you’re not to be trusted. You continue to put out information which says you have tried hundreds of serious felonies.”
Harris responded by touting, “leadership, working with different communities as a career prosecutor, I’ve done that, which is why I, not you, have every law enforcement organization’s endorsement.”
ABC News noted that Harris went on to beat Fazio in the race, and became the first “person of color” elected as district attorney of San Francisco.
Harris is still singing the same song. ABC News said they asked Harris’ campaign this week about her prosecutorial record, and spokesperson James Singer said, “Vice President Harris oversaw and was involved in the prosecution of hundreds of serious crimes before she was elected District Attorney of San Francisco. For more than a decade, she prosecuted child sexual assault cases, homicides, and robberies in Alameda, before overseeing the career criminal unit and served as the head of division on families and children in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.”
The ABC News report quotes a veteran litigator in San Francisco who knew Harris during her time working as a line prosecutor in the city of Alameda as saying the specific claim that Harris had “tried” hundreds of cases was misleading.
ABC also explained that they played the audio from the 2003 debate with Fazio, who now supports Harris, and he dismissed it all as “puffery.” The report states:
He recalled that Harris had been “exaggerating her record” on the campaign trail, but described it as the kind of “puffery” that’s common among politicians.
Harris has gloated over her former career as a prosecutor multiple times since announcing her campaign against Trump, and has boasted, “I know Donald Trump’s type … I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week.”
.@KamalaHarris: “I know Donald Trump’s type … I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week.” pic.twitter.com/DNT7iAKKUx
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 23, 2024
A resurfaced video is circulating on social media of Harris speaking at a Google event in 2010. She brags about the power she has as a prosecutor, and says, “With the swipe of my pen, I can charge someone with a misdemeanor… and by virtue of that swipe of my pen, you will be arrested, be out of pocket for an attorney, and be embarrassed in your community…”
Watch:
Kamala Harris bragging about the power she had as a prosecutor…
With the swipe of my pen…
You will be arrested, be out of pocket for an attorney, and be embarrassed in your community. pic.twitter.com/UuYuivIrXl
— Jimmy Falk5 (@JimmyFalk_55) August 30, 2024
Fox News host Jesse Watters crushed Harris Thursday evening for claiming her “values haven’t changed” as she continues to flip-flop on her positions.
In her new interview, @KamalaHarris said, “My values have not changed.” When she was a prosecutor, she said she prosecuted people crossing the border. When she was running for president, she said crossing the border isn’t a crime. When she was the border czar, she was literally… pic.twitter.com/mtXFjtNXBD
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) August 29, 2024
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