White House spokeswoman faces questions about her qualifications
Amman3 min read
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The White House faced increasing questions on Wednesday regarding the legal qualifications of its new spokeswoman, Katie Zakaria, following a shaky first day on the job, during which she provided an inconclusive answer about where she passed the bar exam.
An American watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, demanding an investigation into whether President Donald Trump's spokeswoman broke the law by presenting herself as a lawyer, despite not holding a license to practice.
The organization "Campaign for Accountability" stated that Zakaria presented herself as a lawyer during appearances on television programs and also identified herself as the general counsel for a conservative non-profit organization based in California.
Michelle Kuppersmith, the group's executive director, said, "Zakaria has repeatedly held herself out as a lawyer to bolster her reputation and credibility," adding, "The State Bar should investigate whether Zakaria misled the public about her qualifications."
Trump described Zakaria as a "lawyer" when announcing her appointment on Friday, but journalists have not found any record indicating she holds a license to practice law in any U.S. state.
The White House spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse, "I practiced international transactional law, meeting all necessary qualifications," without clarifying whether she holds a license to practice law in the United States.
She did not specify where she was admitted to practice law, if that is the case. When asked by reporters on Tuesday where she passed the bar exam, she replied, "When I moved to China."
For its part, the State Bar of California confirmed to American media that there is no record indicating that Zakaria holds a license to practice, neither under her married name nor her maiden name.
Zakaria, 41, graduated from Pepperdine University School of Law in 2011, but obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify a person to practice law.
Foreigners are not permitted to take the bar exam in China, although they can perform specific legal work in Chinese law firms.
Zakaria previously worked for a law firm in Beijing, according to her professional profile.
This controversy followed her shaky debut as White House press secretary on Tuesday, when she read at length from prepared notes during a briefing that lasted only 14 minutes.
She only took questions from three news organizations, all considered pro-Trump, and stumbled in providing some answers, at one point mistakenly referring to the President as her husband.
However, Trump praised her debut and told reporters, "I thought she was very good."
