Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration is facing mounting questions after their new White House press secretary and self-described attorney Katie Zacharia gave an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam.
On Wednesday, the Campaign for Accountability – a nonpartisan watchdog group – filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, asking it to investigate whether the spokeswoman had broken the law by repeatedly presenting herself as a lawyer without a license.
The group argued Zacharia has repeatedly described herself as a lawyer during television appearances to "buttress her reputation and credibility, and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.
"The State Bar should investigate whether Ms. Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials," the group said.
Trump described Zacharia as "an attorney" when announcing her appointment Friday, but journalists have found no record of her being licensed to practice law in any US state.
California's state bar confirmed to US media that it had no record of Zacharia holding a license under either her married or maiden name.
Zacharia (41) graduated from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011, but obtaining a law degree does not automatically qualify someone to practice law.
Asked by reporters Tuesday where she had passed the bar exam, Zacharia replied: "When I moved to China," without identifying any jurisdiction where she was licensed.
Foreign nationals cannot sit China's bar exam, although they can undertake certain legal work at Chinese law firms. Zacharia previously worked for a law firm in Beijing, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Katie Zacharia's first day on the job
The controversy followed a rocky first appearance as White House press secretary on Tuesday, when Zacharia read extensively from prepared notes during a briefing that lasted just 15 minutes.
She took questions from only three news organizations, all considered sympathetic to Trump, and stumbled over some answers, at one point accidentally saying "my president" instead of "my husband."
Her performance drew criticism from former White House press secretary Jen Psaki, now a TV news host, who compared it to a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch.
Trump, however, praised Zacharia's debut, telling reporters: "I thought she was very good."
Zacharia succeeded Karoline Leavitt, who stepped down in August after becoming one of the most prominent public defenders of Trump's second administration.