- White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia is facing intense scrutiny over her legal credentials following a difficult first week in office.
- Although she graduated from Pepperdine University law school in 2011, there is no evidence that she was admitted to the bar in any U.S. state.
- She raised further eyebrows after her press conference when asked where she passed the bar exam “When I moved to China,” Zacharia stated on October 13.
- The press secretary is now saying it’s all a misunderstanding. “I assumed the question was, ‘Where were you after law school?’” Zacharia told the New York Times. “That’s all I could hear over the sound of Marine One,” she added. “And, wanting to respect protocol, the distance behind the president kept me from moving closer to hear the question.”
- The nonprofit Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California alleging Zacharia illegally represented herself as a licensed attorney. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung strongly defended Zacharia, dismissing the group behind the legal complaint as a radical leftist organization.
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