A watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on Wednesday asking authorities to investigate whether White House press secretary Katie Zacharia practiced law without a license.
The Campaign for Accountability lodged the complaint on Wednesday following a report from Popular Information, which said Zacharia, a California resident, has never been admitted to practice law in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia.
Per the complaint, state bar directories typically retain records of inactive, suspended and disbarred attorneys. Zacharia’s absence from the databases suggests she was never admitted at all, the watchdog alleges.
“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 as a crime.”
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Misrepresenting oneself as an attorney in California is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a county jail or a fine of up to $1,000, per the complaint.
Zacharia has presented herself as an attorney at least four times this year through television and podcast appearances, the complaint states.
“Each of these representations conveys to an ordinary listener that Ms. Zacharia is a licensed attorney entitled to practice law,” the complaint states.
While standing outside the White House with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Zacharia appeared to tell a reporter, “When I moved to China,” when asked where she passed the bar exam.
The Washington Sun has emailed the White House for comment.
Zacharia’s LinkedIn page also offers clues as to where she may have practiced law.
Between January 2024 and March 2025, the profile states, she was general counsel to Fix California, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting conservative policies statewide.
Prior to that, she was an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from August 2011 to June 2013, the page states. China does not permit foreign nationals to take its national bar examination or practice Chinese law.
Zacharia hasn’t held a full-time legal position since, her profile states. She graduated from Pepperdine University Law School in 2011.
A law degree does not alone qualify someone to practice law. In California, law school graduates generally must pass the state bar exam and meet other requirements to be admitted to practice.
The Campaign for Accountability is asking the State Bar of California to investigate whether Zacharia violated sections 6125 and 6126 of the California Business and Professions Code.
“Ms. Zacharia has represented herself as a lawyer repeatedly to buttress her reputation and credibility as a television legal commentator and now as the White House spokesperson, yet it seems it was all a lie,” Michelle Kuppersmith, the organization’s executive director, said in a written statement.
“In California, calling yourself a lawyer without a license isn’t puffery; it’s a crime. The State Bar should investigate whether Ms. Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials and hold her accountable if she has.”
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