Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with California’s state bar on Wednesday, asking it to investigate whether Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia misled the public by describing herself as a lawyer.
Scrutiny intensified after Zacharia, asked which state she passed the bar in after her first briefing, answered: “when I moved to China,” while the White House declined to say whether she had passed any bar exam.
Pepperdine confirmed Zacharia earned a law degree in 2011, but reviews by multiple outlets found no active or expired bar admission under her married or maiden names in California, DC, Texas or dozens of other jurisdictions.
California law allows penalties of up to $1,000 and one year in jail for holding oneself out as entitled to practice law without active bar membership, though no report alleges Zacharia has been charged.
The bar-credential questions add to broader pressure on Zacharia, whose debut briefing was panned and whose deleted social media posts promoting conspiracy theories have drawn fresh criticism since her appointment.