Donald Trump's new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, has received a public show of support from the White House after a report raised fresh questions about her legal qualifications.
The Wall Street Journal, citing a person with direct knowledge, reported that Katie took the California bar exam after graduating from Pepperdine University's law school in 2011 but did not pass.
Responding to HELLO!'s request for comment, the White House shared a statement from communications director Steven Cheung defending the new spokeswoman. "Katie is a fabulous and wonderful addition to the team," he said.
The White House also provided Katie's response concerning her legal experience: "I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials."
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Katie Zacharia's legal qualifications come under scrutiny
Trump announced Katie's appointment on 9 October, describing her as an attorney. Questions subsequently emerged about whether she had been admitted to practise law in the United States.
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Pepperdine has confirmed that Katie earned her undergraduate degree in 2007 and her law degree in 2011. Her academic qualifications are therefore distinct from the questions surrounding her professional licensing.
Earlier this week, Popular Information reported that it had searched for evidence of Katie's admission to practise across all 50 states and Washington DC, finding none. The publication also highlighted her LinkedIn profile, which listed a general counsel role at the nonprofit organisation Fix California.
The Journal's subsequent reporting added the claim about her exam result. It said she later worked on the international practice team at Beijing's Zhong Lun Law Firm, where US bar qualifications were not required for her role.
The response provided to HELLO! did not directly address the reported exam result or identify a jurisdiction where Katie had been admitted to practise.
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Katie Zacharia faces questions after first White House briefing
The issue attracted further attention after Katie's debut briefing on Tuesday, 13 October. Asked which state she had passed the bar exam in, Trump turned the question over to his new spokeswoman. "When I moved to China," Katie replied, without naming a US jurisdiction.
On Wednesday, Campaign for Accountability announced that it had filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, asking it to examine her public descriptions of her qualifications.
The complaint requests an investigation; it is not a finding of wrongdoing and does not establish that the regulator has opened an investigation.
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White House backs Katie Zacharia
Katie's first briefing lasted approximately 14 minutes, with questions taken from three outlets, according to the Associated Press.
Trump praised her performance afterwards, saying: "I thought she did excellent. She did very good."
In the statement provided to HELLO!, Steven also expressed confidence in her ability to take on the role: "She is uniquely qualified and whip smart to help inform the American people about all the great things President Trump and his Administration have been doing, and she will do an incredible job as Press Secretary."