Trump’s new press secretary Katie Zacharia faces scrutiny over credentials

WASHINGTON - The White House was facing mounting questions on Oct 14 over new press secretary Katie Zacharia’s legal credentials, after a faltering first day in the job when she gave an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam.

A US watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, asking it to investigate whether President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman – the public face of the administration – had broken the law by repeatedly presenting herself as a lawyer without a licence.

Campaign for Accountability said Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.

“Ms Zacharia has represented herself as a lawyer repeatedly to buttress her reputation and credibility,” said the group’s executive director, Michelle Kuppersmith.

“The State Bar should investigate whether Ms Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials,” she added.

Trump described Zacharia as “an attorney” when announcing her appointment on Oct 9, but journalists have found no record of her being licenced to practice law in any US state.

“I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials,” Zacharia said in a statement to AFP, without clarifying whether she held a US law licence.

Zacharia has not specified where, if anywhere, she was admitted to the bar. Asked by reporters on Oct 13 where she had passed the bar exam, Zacharia replied: “When I moved to China.”

California’s state bar confirmed to US media that it had no record of Zacharia holding a licence under either her married or maiden name.

Zacharia, 41, graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school in 2011, but obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify someone to practice law.

Foreign nationals cannot sit China’s bar exam, although they can undertake certain legal work at Chinese law firms.

Zacharia previously worked for a law firm in Beijing, according to her professional profile.

The controversy followed a rocky first appearance as White House press secretary on Oct 13, when Zacharia read extensively from prepared notes during a briefing lasting just 14 minutes.

She took questions from only three news organisations, all considered sympathetic to Trump, and stumbled over some answers, at one point accidentally referring to the president as her husband.

Her performance drew criticism from former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, now a TV news host, who compared it to a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch.

Trump, however, praised Zacharia’s debut, telling reporters: “I thought she was very good.”

Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August after becoming one of the most prominent public defenders of Trump’s second administration. AFP