WASHINGTON: The White House is under fire for the professional credentials of its new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, following her first media briefing, which left people wondering if she was a licensed U.S. attorney. The controversy heated up when the Campaign for Accountability, a U.S.-based watchdog group, filed a complaint with the State Bar of California asking for an investigation into whether Zacharia misrepresented her legal credentials.
The organisation said Zacharia had repeatedly called herself a lawyer in television appearances and claimed to be general counsel of a conservative nonprofit group based in California. The state bar should look into whether Zacharia had misled the public regarding her professional qualifications, said Michelle Kuppersmith, the group’s executive director.
President Donald Trump introduced Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment on Friday. But later investigation revealed no public record of her being licensed to practice law in any U.S. state.
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Zacharia said in a statement that she had worked in international transactional law and had the necessary credentials, but did not explicitly state whether she was a US law licence. Her qualifications were also questioned at her first press briefing on Tuesday, when reporters asked her where she had taken the bar exam. She replied, “When I came to China,” but did not elaborate.
The State Bar of California reportedly said it did not have a record of a licence issued to Zacharia under either her married or maiden name.
Zacharia, 41, is a 2011 graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law. But a law degree does not automatically qualify a graduate to practice law; they must also satisfy the relevant licensing requirements.
Her professional profile says that she used to work in a law firm in Beijing. Foreign nationals may engage in some legal activities in China, but are not allowed to take the national bar exam. The controversy coincides with criticism of Zacharia’s first stint as White House press secretary. Her first briefing was about 14 minutes long and she used a lot of notes and answered questions from only three news organisations.
She also flubbed some answers and at one point called Trump her husband.
Television host and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki took Zacharia to task for his performance, likening it to a comedy sketch on Saturday Night Live.
But Trump defended his new spokesperson, telling reporters that he thought her first briefing went well.
Zacharia is filling a vacancy created by Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August after emerging as a key voice for Trump’s second term. The grievance against Zacharia to the California bar may lead to a deeper investigation into her background, as there are questions regarding her licensing status and how she has been representing herself as an attorney.
