Trouble mounts for Katie Zacharia: Watchdog organization files complaint against Trump's press secretary with California Bar over attorney claims; all you need to know

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia has landed in legal trouble over her claims of being an attorney. A nonprofit watchdog group has filed a complaint against Zacharia with the State Bar of California. The complaint came after reports emerged claiming that she apparently never passed a bar exam or was admitted to practice law in any state.

She has been facing scrutiny for her credentials after she assumed her role on October 12, 2026. In its complaint, Campaign For Accountability (CFA) cited a report by online platform Mediaite calling for a request for an investigation into the matter. Zacharia was announced as the White House Press Secretary earlier in September 2026. She presided over the White House Press Briefing Room on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) and faced sharp reviews.

Zacharia, who has described herself as a lawyer on multiple occasions, claimed that she practiced law before stepping into the world of politics. She was described as an attorney by US President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post.


While responding to the reporter's query regarding her credentials, she said that she passed the bar exam when she “moved to China.” Reuters, Popular Information, and The Washington Post reviewed bar association listings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. None of the outlets could find any listing for Zacharia. She reportedly worked for a large law firm in China a few years ago after graduating law school.

Zacharia appeared for the California Bar exam

Citing a person with direct knowledge linked to Zacharia’s bar exam status, the WSJ reported that she appeared for the California bar exam after graduating from law school at Pepperdine University in 2011. However, she did not pass the exam. At the time, she was reportedly planning a wedding and preparing to move to China with her future husband, the person said.

She did not seem to have conveyed any Chinese bar admission. Under Chinese regulations, only Chinese citizens are eligible to appear in the country’s National Unified Legal Professional Qualification Examination.

Moreover, Mediaite reported that she did not even fulfill the requirements for foreign lawyers admitted in another jurisdiction to advise Chinese clients on those outside jurisdictions. Also, it is pertinent to note that she reportedly did not earn a bar admission in any other country.

What did CFA claim in its complaint against Katie Zacharia

In the copy of the complaint obtained by Mediaite, the watchdog highlighted several occasions when Zacharia made public claims about being an attorney. According to the complaint, she “has for more than a year described herself on national television and in podcasts as a ‘lawyer,’ has claimed to have served as ‘outside counsel’ to the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation, and held the title of ‘General Counsel’ of a California-based nonprofit organization.”


Also Read: Did Trump’s press secretary, Katie Zacharia, lie about bar exam claims during White House debut? Fresh claims emerge as she remains under scrutiny over her credentials


Citing reports by Legum and Mediaite, she has never been admitted to practice law in California or in any other state or the District of Columbia. The complaint further stated, "If that reporting is accurate, Ms. Zacharia has repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practice law without a license to do so, conduct California law treats it as a crime.”


Which sections did CFA cite in its complaint


Calling for an investigation into the matter, CFA claimed that Zacharia violated sections 6125 and 6126 of the California Business and Professions Code. It states that “[a]ny 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 one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.”