Press Secretary Katie Zacharia Faces Scrutiny Over Her Legal Credentials
It has been a rough first week on the job for new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. The latest addition to the Trump administration is facing scrutiny over her background and reported resume. Read on for all of the latest out of Washington, D.C.
Resume of New White House Press Secretary Under Scrutiny
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia appeared at the podium for the first time on Tuesday, days after being tapped for the job following Karoline Leavitt's departure to spend more time with her family. In addition to the rocky start in front of the media, Zacharia is now facing questions over her reported legal background.
Zacharia has long marketed herself as a lawyer, making the rounds as a conservative commentator on news outlets such as Newsmax and Fox News. However, the White House has not been able to provide evidence that she indeed passed the bar exam.
The hiring of Zacharia last week came as a surprise to many political pundits. She had been working for President Donald Trump's social media company, Truth Social, as the senior communications adviser for just a few months when she was elevated to the position of press secretary. She also worked for two months earlier in the year as the deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Trump faced questions about Zacharia's legal background from reporters following her inaugural press briefing. The president deferred to Zacharia to answer over the sound of Marine One in the background, making it difficult to make out what she said after explaining something about moving to China. It should be noted that China's National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination is only open to Chinese citizens, meaning that Zacharia cannot claim that she passed the bar in this nation.
The White House provided a statement from Zacharia confirming that she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University in 2007 and a law degree from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2011. The statement from Zacharia noted, “I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials."
White House communications director Steven Cheung added that Zacharia was “uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as press secretary.”
Zacharia's LinkedIn sheds a little light on her past work experience in the legal field. This profile details that she worked as an associate on the International Practice Team at the Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing. Zacharia also reportedly worked for Compassion for Migrant Children as the manager of fundraising and communications from 2012 to 2013.
She identifies as a "wife, mom, & lawyer" on her Instagram profile. Her official author page at the California Globe notes that she has been a “regular commentator on Fox News, Newsmax,” in addition to her “extensive experience in political advocacy, international corporate law, and non-profit work, including time as outside counsel for the World Bank and IFC in Beijing.”
Trump introduced Zacharia as the mouthpiece for his administration through a post on his social media site. In the announcement, the president described his newest team member as “a distinguished Graduate of Pepperdine University and the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, an attorney, and a frequent Commentator on outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax.” He went on to praise Zacharia, saying, “She has an unblemished record of support, and has been a loyal and brilliant supporter, right from the beginning. She is, likewise, a devoted fan and member of MAGA!”
Zacharia Not Listed as a Member of the State Bar of California
Critics of the Trump administration and his hiring choices have latched on to the fact that Zacharia is not listed as a member of the State Bar of California. Rick Coca, a spokesperson for the State Bar of California, confirmed in a statement that they have “no record of Kate Sharon Zacharia or Kate Sharon Black” or any version of her various names “having been licensed to practice law in California.”
The database Popular Information said that there was no record of Zacharia being licensed to practice law in any of the 50 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. This information prompted watchdog group Campaign for Accountability (CfA) to file a complaint on Wednesday with the State Bar of California urging them to investigate if the new press secretary is misrepresenting herself. Positioning yourself as a lawyer when not properly licensed is against California law.
“In California, calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn’t puffery; it’s a crime. The State Bar should investigate whether Ms. Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials and hold her accountable if she has,” said CfA Executive Director Michelle Kuppersmith.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Zacharia failed to pass the California bar exam after graduating from law school.
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