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Complaint alleges White House press secretary Katie Zacharia practiced law without license

Zacharia told Jack Posobiec in an interview that she did not pass California's bar exam, and the State Bar has no license on record for her.

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 19:28 UTC5 reports

The short version

  • A watchdog group filed a State Bar of California complaint alleging that White House press secretary Katie Zacharia practiced law without a license.[The Washington Sun]
  • Zacharia told Jack Posobiec in an interview that she took but did not pass the California bar exam, and the State Bar has no record of her license.[CBS News · The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • In a statement to CBS News, Zacharia said she practiced international transaction law with all appropriate credentials, though which credentials she meant is unclear.[CBS News · Associated Press]
  • The State Bar cannot confirm whether it received the complaint or is investigating, citing confidentiality laws.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Key facts

  • A watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California on Wednesday alleging that Katie Zacharia practiced law without a license.[The Guardian · Associated Press · The Washington Sun]
  • Zacharia told Jack Posobiec in an interview that she took the California bar exam but did not pass it.[CBS News]
  • The State Bar of California said it has no record of Zacharia or her maiden name being licensed to practice law in California.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • The State Bar said it could not confirm whether it received the complaint or is investigating, citing confidentiality laws.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The complaint says California treats misrepresenting oneself as an attorney as a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail or a fine of up to $1,000.[The Washington Sun]
  • Zacharia said in a statement to CBS News that she practiced international transaction law with all appropriate credentials.[CBS News · Associated Press]
  • Pepperdine University confirmed Zacharia graduated from its law school in 2011, and a law degree alone does not qualify someone to practice law in California.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]

What remains uncertain

  • It is unclear which credentials Zacharia meant when she said she practiced international transaction law with all appropriate credentials.[CBS News · Associated Press]
  • The State Bar cannot confirm whether it received the complaint or is investigating, so the complaint's status is unknown.[ABC News · Associated Press]
  • The complaint's claim that Zacharia was never admitted in any U.S. state rests on her absence from bar directories and has not been tested in any proceeding.[The Washington Sun]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.