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Topline

An ethics watchdog filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association on Wednesday seeking an investigation into White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s claims that she is a lawyer, following reports that she is not licensed to practice law in any state.

Key Facts

The Campaign for Accountability nonprofit said that Zacharia has repeatedly described herself as a lawyer, but reports have found she is not licensed to practice law in California or any other state.

The complaint notes that if Zacharia has “held herself out to the public as entitled to practice law without a license to do so,” California law treats the conduct “as a crime.”

Zacharia’s professional status was called into question this week as she began her new job at the White House and appeared at the podium in the White House briefing room for the first time Tuesday—an appearance that lasted less than 15 minutes and was widely mocked for repeated rhetorical stumbles.

Zacharia, who graduated from Pepperdine law school in 2011, the university confirmed to the Washington Post, told reporters shortly after the briefing she passed the bar when she moved to China.

Foreign nationals are not permitted to take the bar or practice law in China, though the complaint notes she worked as an associate at a law firm in Beijing shortly after graduating from law school.

Forbes has reached out to Zacharia for comment.

Tangent

Zacharia allegedly said in at least 18 TV appearances from February 2025 through October 2026 that she is a lawyer. “The repetition and breadth of these statements weigh heavily in favor of investigation,” the complaint says. The California Business and Professions code states “any person advertising or holding himself or herself out as practicing or entitled to practice law or otherwise practicing law who is not an active licensee of the State Bar, or otherwise authorized pursuant to statute or court rule to practice law in this state at the time of doing so, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a county jail or by a fine of up to $1,000” or both. The Campaign for Accountability asked the state bar association to refer Zacharia to prosecutors if it found her in violation of the law.

Key Background

Zacharia, a conservative commentator who briefly worked for the State Department earlier this year, was hired to replace Karoline Leavitt, who resigned from the role in August shortly after returning from maternity leave. She said she was stepping down from the role to spend more time with her two young children. In her first briefing with reporters on Tuesday, Zacharia repeatedly praised Trump, spending most of her short time at the podium on her introductory monologue, rather than taking questions from reporters. She said her job is to “amplify, multiply, and expand on President Trump’s incredible agenda for the American people,” noting she has “wanted to work for him for a very long time.” When asked if the administration had stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine—a topic widely reported on earlier Tuesday—Zacharia said, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”