Katie Zacharia's Legal Credentials Under Scrutiny Following White House Debut
President Trump introduced Zacharia as an attorney, despite her not passing the California bar exam and claims of practicing law in China where non-citizens are reportedly barred.
Sarah Connor
President Donald Trump introduced Katie Zacharia as an attorney during her White House debut.
She does not hold a license to practice law in the United States. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson, claims Zacharia is "uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people."
The Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on Wednesday. It claims Zacharia repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practice law without a license, which California law treats as a crime.
Zacharia, for her part, claims she practiced international transaction law with all appropriate credentials. She moved to Beijing, China, after law school, working as an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm from 2011-13, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people.
Non-citizens are banned from becoming lawyers and cannot sit for the bar exam in China. Zacharia also stated on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show that she worked as outside counsel for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank during her time in China.
Zacharia sat down with Jack Posobiec for her first on-camera interview since her White House debut. She admitted the "miscommunication" surrounding her credentials comes from the fact that she calls herself a "lawyer."
She claims a university president advised her she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney. Zacharia also stated she consulted many people in the field who said it was "absolutely" acceptable to label herself a "lawyer" and provide legal analysis, not advice.
Zacharia repeatedly identified herself as a lawyer during media appearances. Yet she claims she was very careful how she executed this and never came across as someone who was an attorney-at-law.
Zacharia indicated that I received briefing materials Monday night, but they were not fully baked until 8 a.m. Tuesday. I was distracted by my marriage as the reason I failed the California bar exam and a surprise pregnancy as the cause for never taking it again.
Zacharia argued the results were 'inconsequential because I wouldn't need the results in China.'