Katie Zacharia’s first days as White House press secretary have been far from smooth, and now she is facing questions about whether she has the legal credentials she claims to hold.
Her first press briefing lasted just 15 minutes and reportedly drew criticism from several officials and advisers to President Donald Trump.
She is now under scrutiny over her professional background after an unusual exchange raised questions about her experience as a lawyer.
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Zacharia has referred to herself as a lawyer, while Trump has also described her as an attorney.
However, she does not appear to be registered with the bar in any of the US states where she has lived.
On Tuesday, a reporter asked her which US state she had passed the bar exam in. The exam is a requirement for practising law in the United States.
Zacharia gave a brief and unexpected response, saying: “When I moved to China.”
Following the exchange, she addressed questions about her legal credentials in a statement released this week, claiming, “I practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials.”
Zacharia has been roundly mocked for the her answer, with some suggesting she might not be in her role for much longer…
Watchdog calls for Katie Zacharia investigation
Katie Zacharia’s questions over her legal qualifications are growing, with a watchdog group now calling for an official investigation into her professional background.
On Wednesday, Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association, asking it to investigate whether Zacharia had repeatedly presented herself as legally qualified to practise law without holding the required licence.
Zacharia graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in California in 2011, but earning a law degree does not, on its own, grant someone permission to practise law in the US.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Zacharia sat the California bar exam after graduating, around the time she was making plans for her wedding. She failed to pass.
She subsequently relocated to Beijing, where her husband worked for an American private equity firm.
Zacharia has said she carried out work involving “international transaction law” during her time in China.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she was employed as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013.
However, the rules for practising law in China differ from those in the US.
Only Chinese citizens can obtain a licence to practise as lawyers, although foreign nationals can take on other roles within law firms.
The complaint now asks California’s state bar to examine whether Zacharia’s claims about her legal qualifications broke the law.