Foto: BB.LV / Кэти Захария
Katy Zachariah, who began her duties as White House press secretary on October 12, found herself at the center of a scandal just days after her appointment. In an interview on the Hannity program on Fox News, she confirmed that she did not pass the qualifying exam required to practice law in the United States. When host Sean Hannity asked if she really failed the exam, Zachariah answered affirmatively. To the next question—whether she attempted to retake it—she responded negatively. ## Has a diploma, but no license In 2011, Zachariah graduated from the law school at Pepperdine University. After that, she moved with her husband to China, where she worked at the Beijing law firm Zhong Lun from 2011 to 2013. According to Zachariah, she dealt with international contract law and had the necessary qualifications for this work. However, journalists from Reuters and The Washington Post found no evidence that Zachariah ever obtained a license to practice law in any U.S. state. In the U.S., a law degree alone is not sufficient to practice law independently. It is necessary to meet the requirements of the relevant state, including passing the qualifying exam. The situation is complicated by the fact that Zachariah has previously presented herself as a lawyer during television appearances. Donald Trump also referred to her as an attorney when introducing the new press secretary of his administration. ## Worked as chief counsel Additional questions arose regarding Zachariah's tenure at the organization Fix California, founded by Trump associate Richard Grenell. According to her professional biography, she served as chief counsel there from 2024 to 2025. Grenell explained to Reuters that Zachariah performed various duties as a senior advisor, including coordinating the work of external attorneys. According to The Washington Post, two nonprofit organizations filed complaints with the California bar association requesting an investigation into whether Zachariah practiced law without the proper authorization. The press secretary herself rejects accusations of deliberately misleading the public. She claims that she consulted with specialists and believed it was acceptable to call herself a lawyer, given her legal education and experience in the international field. ## The first press conference lasted less than 15 minutes The scandal erupted against the backdrop of mixed reactions to Zachariah's first appearance in her new role. On Tuesday, October 13, she held her debut briefing at the White House, which ended in less than 15 minutes. During that time, the press secretary answered questions from only three journalists. Critics deemed the appearance too short; however, Donald Trump publicly supported his employee, stating that she did well. Zachariah explained that she had to conduct the press conference with almost no time for preparation. Now, the questions are not about the length of her briefings, but about the accuracy of the professional information that the new White House representative provided about herself. At the same time, having a law license is not a mandatory requirement for working as the press secretary of the President of the United States.
