President Donald Trump's new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, faces a complaint to California's bar association over whether she falsely claimed to be a licensed attorney without holding the required credentials to practice law in any US state.
Trump described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment last week. When a reporter asked her on Tuesday which state she had passed the bar exam required to practice law in the US, Zacharia responded: "When I moved to China," standing alongside the president.
On Wednesday, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association. The group alleged that Zacharia "repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practise law without a licence to do so, conduct California law treats as a crime," according to the BBC.
Why the confusion over "lawyer" versus "attorney"
Zacharia told the New York Times on Wednesday that when she first began appearing on cable news, she asked Pepperdine University how she should identify herself. She said the university president advised her that she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney.
The distinction matters legally. In the US, a law degree does not automatically confer the right to practice law. Individuals must pass a bar exam in the state where they wish to practice. Zacharia graduated from law school at Pepperdine University in California in 2011, according to the BBC, but she took the California bar exam after graduation and did not pass.
A person with direct knowledge of the matter told the Wall Street Journal that Zacharia took the exam around the same time she was planning a wedding and preparing to move to China with her husband-to-be.
What happened after law school
Zacharia moved to Beijing because of her husband's job at an American private equity firm. Her LinkedIn profile states that she worked as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011-13, according to the BBC.
In China, only Chinese citizens are eligible to obtain a license to practice law. Foreign employees may work at law firms in other roles, the BBC reported.
In February last year, Zacharia said on the conservative radio program The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show that she had worked as outside counsel for the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank during her time in China, according to the BBC. The BBC has contacted the World Bank, the IFC, and Zhong Lun Law Firm for comment.
In a statement this week, Zacharia said: "I practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials," according to the BBC.
How Zacharia explained the China answer
Zacharia told the New York Times that when she answered "China" to the question about her bar exam, it was a misunderstanding. She had mistakenly thought, above the noise of Marine One, that the reporter had asked: "Where were you after law school?" according to the BBC.
White House communications director Steven Cheung defended Zacharia, saying she is "uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people," according to the BBC.
Zacharia's path to the White House
The 42-year-old has been a frequent guest on Fox, Newsmax, and CNN, according to CNN. She served as a senior communications adviser at Trump Media and Technology Group and Truth Social starting in June, and previously served a two-month stint as a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported.
Zacharia has also served as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative nonprofit started by Trump ally Ric Grenell, according to the BBC. She first came to Washington as an intern for the Republican National Committee during the George W. Bush administration in 2006, CNN reported.
Zacharia's selection as press secretary came about quickly. As of the previous week, she was not being considered for the role, according to CNN. Throughout the search to replace former press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the White House struggled with higher-profile candidates, several of whom had previously criticized Trump and were disqualified from consideration.