Trump’s new press secretary faces scrutiny over credentials

Washington: Amidst mounting questions about her legal credentials, the White House has come under scrutiny over the appointment of Katie Zacharia as the new press secretary. US watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, alleging that Zacharia may have misled the public by presenting herself as a lawyer without a license.

Zacharia, who has described herself as a lawyer repeatedly in television appearances and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit, has no record of being licensed to practice law in any US state. When asked about her bar exam, she replied, "When I moved to China." California's state bar confirmed not having any record of Zacharia holding a license under either her married or maiden name.

Despite graduating from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011, foreign nationals are not allowed to sit China's bar exam. Zacharia previously worked for a law firm in Beijing. Her rocky first day as White House press secretary, marked by extensive note-taking and stumbling answers, drew criticism from former press secretary Jen Psaki, who compared her performance to a Saturday Night Live sketch. Trump, however, hailed her debut as "very good."