White House defends new press secretary Katie Zacharia amid questions about her legal credentials.
President Donald Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment last week, describing her as an attorney and, in subsequent press events, she has referred to herself as a lawyer.
When reporters asked which state she had passed the bar exam in, Zacharia replied, “When I moved to China.” To date, she is not registered to practice law in any U.S. state, raising doubts about her claims.
White House communications director Steven Cheung praised her as “uniquely qualified and whip‑smart” to inform the American people. In a statement, Zacharia said she has “practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
On Wednesday, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar, seeking an investigation into whether Zacharia “repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practise law without a licence to do so, conduct California law treats as a crime.”
The 42‑year‑old political strategist earned her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011. Although a law degree is not a licence to practice, Zacharia took the California bar exam after graduation but reportedly failed, according to the Wall Street Journal.
She moved to Beijing in 2011 for her husband’s private‑equity job and worked on “international transaction law” for the Zhong Lun Law Firm and later as outside counsel for the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank while in China.
In addition, her LinkedIn records list her as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative non‑profit founded by Trump ally Ric Grenell.
While the White House stands by Zacharia’s suitability, critics insist that she has misrepresented her professional qualifications. The ongoing investigation will determine whether her public self‑portrayal violated California law and congressional ethics standards.
