The publisher of a new memoir from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has acknowledged that editors erroneously slipped into the book’s copyright page two sentences that claimed Scott was seeking a presidential bid in 2024.
Thomas Nelson, a subsidiary of publishing giant HarperCollins, said in a statement to the Post and Courier that editors made the error entirely on their own, without any involvement from Scott.
“The description on the copyright page was our error and is not accurate. It was not done at the direction or approval of the Senator or his team. We are working to correct this immediately,” the statement to the news outlet reads.
It’s unclear how the publisher might correct it. Scott’s memoir, “America, a Redemption Story,” is set for publication on Aug. 9.
According to the Post and Courier, the small print on the copyright page says: “Senator Scott is a rising star who sees and understands the importance of bipartisanship to move America forward. This book is a political memoir that includes his core messages as he prepares to make a presidential bid in 2022.”
Scott had already told the Post and Courier he did not sign off on those two sentences. When asked about the veracity of the claims on his presidential ambitions, Scott refuted them and said it was “fascinating” they were included in the book.
According to a brief synopsis, the memoir recounts “the formative events of his life alongside the inspiring stories of other Americans who have risen above hardship and embodied the values that make our nation great.”
Scott, who has served as the junior senator in South Carolina since 2013, has written two other books with former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.).
He has often been the subject of speculation about a White House bid, but has never publicly stated such ambitions.