Washington: US President Donald Trump’s new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, is facing scrutiny over her legal credentials after California’s state bar said it had no record of her being licensed to practise law, despite her longstanding claims of being a lawyer.
Zacharia, who has long described herself as a lawyer while building a profile as a conservative commentator on outlets such as Fox News and Newsmax, began her tenure this week and held her first news conference on Tuesday. Her appointment has drawn scrutiny over her qualifications and previous professional experience.
Trump announced Zacharia’s appointment on October 12 in a post on Truth Social, saying she would begin her term the following day and hold an introductory news conference on Tuesday. He described her as an attorney and a graduate of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, praising her work as a commentator and her support for his political campaigns.
Zacharia replaced Karoline Leavitt, who left the position in August. Before her appointment, Zacharia had served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media & Technology Group and briefly worked as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.
The questions over her legal credentials intensified after the independent outlet Popular Information reported that she did not appear to be licensed to practise law in any US state. When Trump was asked by reporters where she had passed the bar exam, he stepped aside to let her respond.
“When I moved to China,” Zacharia said, amid the noise of Marine One in the background. It was unclear what she intended to say or whether she had completed her answer.
The White House subsequently provided a statement from Zacharia saying she had earned a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University in 2007 and a law degree from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011.
“I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” the statement said.
However, Rick Coca, a spokesperson for the State Bar of California, said the regulator had no record of Zacharia, under the names Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black, or any variation of her married or maiden names, being licensed to practise law in California, where she resides.
Popular Information reported that its inquiries had also found no record of her being licensed in any of the other 49 states or Washington, DC. The White House and Zacharia have not provided evidence of a licence from any US jurisdiction.
Zacharia’s LinkedIn profile says she worked from 2011 to 2013 as an associate on the international practice team at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing. Her professional biography also describes experience in international corporate law and says she worked on matters involving organisations associated with the World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation during her time in Beijing.
The Chinese National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination, however, can be taken only by Chinese citizens, according to the report.
Her profile also lists work in fundraising and communications for Compassion for Migrant Children and as general counsel for Fix California, a group founded by Trump administration official Richard Grenell. The law firm and the two organisations did not respond to questions about her employment and background.
Following the report, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on Wednesday, asking it to investigate whether Zacharia had misrepresented herself as a lawyer in violation of state law.
“In California, calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn't puffery; it's a crime,” said Michelle Kuppersmith, the organisation’s executive director, urging the bar to investigate and hold Zacharia accountable if she had misled the public.
The State Bar said it could not confirm whether it had received the complaint or was investigating, citing confidentiality laws.
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia’s appointment, calling her “uniquely qualified and whip smart” and saying she would do an “incredible job” as press secretary.
Trump had also praised her as a loyal supporter, saying she had been with him “in spirit, from the very beginning” and describing her record of support as unblemished.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)