White House press secretary’s legal credentials face scrutiny

Katie Zacharia, the new White House press secretary, is facing questions about her professional background after failing to provide evidence that she passed the bar exam in any U.S. State or China. Although she has long described herself as a lawyer and holds a law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, public databases show she is not listed as a member of the state bar in California, where she resides.

The State Bar of California confirmed it has no record of Zacharia being licensed to practice law in the state. A watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, filed a complaint with the bar on Wednesday, asking for an investigation into whether she misrepresented her credentials in violation of California law. Zacharia stated in a White House release that she practiced international transaction law with appropriate credentials, but did not specify a jurisdiction.

The scrutiny follows her debut at the podium on Tuesday, where she was asked by reporters where she had passed the bar exam. She responded by referencing her time in China, where she worked for a law firm, but the country's national legal exam is typically restricted to citizens. The White House communications director defended her appointment, calling her uniquely qualified to inform the public about the administration's work.

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