Trump's new press secretary faces scrutiny over credentials

Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia. [Jim Watson, AFP]

The White House was facing mounting questions Wednesday over new press secretary Katie Zacharia's legal credentials, after a faltering first day in the job when she gave an inconclusive answer about where she had passed the bar exam.

A US watchdog group filed a complaint with the State Bar of California, asking it to investigate whether President Donald Trump's spokeswoman -the public face of the administration had broken the law by repeatedly presenting herself as a lawyer without a license.

Campaign for Accountability said Zacharia had described herself as a lawyer during television appearances and listed herself as general counsel of a California-based conservative nonprofit.

"Ms. Zacharia has represented herself as a lawyer repeatedly to buttress her reputation and credibility," said the group's executive director, Michelle Kuppersmith.

"The State Bar should investigate whether Ms. Zacharia has misled the public about her credentials," she added.

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 professional profile.

"I practiced international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials," she told Newsweek, without clarifying whether she held a US law license.