Laura Italiano, a reporter for the New York Post, has resigned after she wrote an erroneous story that stated that Vice President Kamala Harris was giving her book to children who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.
Italiano announced her resignation on Twitter, saying she was unsuccessful in trying to push back against the story.
“The Kamala Harris story — an incorrect story I was ordered to write and which I failed to push back hard enough against — was my breaking point,” she wrote. “It's been a privilege to cover the City of New York for its liveliest, wittiest tabloid — a paper filled with reporters and editors I admire deeply and hold as friends. I'm sad to leave.”
The Kamala Harris story — an incorrect story I was ordered to write and which I failed to push back hard enough against — was my breaking point.
— Laura Italiano (@Italiano_Laura) April 27, 2021
According to the false story first published last week, children were getting copies of Harris’s book Superheroes Are Everywhere as part of a “welcome kit” at a migrant shelter in Long Beach, California, The Washington Post reported. After it was temporarily removed on Tuesday, the story was re-published with an editor’s note.
“The original version of this article said migrant kids were getting Harris’s book in a welcome kit, but has been updated to note that only one known copy of the book was given to a child,” the editor's note stated.
According to The Washington Post, it's not clear if a single child received the book, which was captured by a Reuters photographer as it sat on a vacant bed in the shelter.
The follow-up story, written by New York Post reporter Mark Moore, states that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki didn’t have an answer when asked about the book allegedly being given to migrant children. Conservative pundits and officials have now seized the opportunity to bash the White House.
“After learning officials are handing out Kamala Harris’ book to migrants in facilities at the border, it’s worth asking . . . Was Harris paid for these books? Is she profiting from Biden’s border crisis?” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel tweeted.
After learning officials are handing out Kamala Harris’ book to migrants in facilities at the border, it’s worth asking…
Was Harris paid for these books? Is she profiting from Biden’s border crisis?
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) April 26, 2021
Fox News also published a story to inquire about who is providing funding for the welcome packs. Long Beach officials, however, said the book was one of many items, including toys and clothing, donated by residents in a citywide drive. A city spokeswoman added that government funds were not used to purchase the items.
