The White House is defending its new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, who is facing scrutiny over her legal credentials. President Donald Trump described Zacharia as an attorney when announcing her appointment last week, and she has referred to herself as a lawyer.
When asked by a reporter on Tuesday in which US state she had passed the bar exam, Zacharia responded: "When I moved to China." She does not appear to be registered to the bar in any state where she has lived. White House communications director Steven Cheung stated Zacharia is "uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people."
Zacharia, 42, graduated from law school at Pepperdine University in California in 2011, but a law degree does not constitute a licence to practise law in the US. She told the New York Times on Wednesday that she was advised by the university president that she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney. She also clarified that her "China" answer was a misunderstanding, believing the reporter had asked where she was after law school.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Zacharia took the California bar exam after graduating but did not pass. Her LinkedIn profile indicates she worked as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011-2013. In China, only Chinese citizens can obtain a licence to practise law, with foreign employees working in other roles at law firms.
On Wednesday, the watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association. It is seeking an investigation into whether 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."