Reuters · October 15, 2026

Questions Raised About White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia's Legal Credentials; Zacharia Says She Practiced International Transaction Law

• Katie Zacharia, who joined the White House on Monday as press secretary, has said she practiced law before entering politics, and President Donald Trump has described her as an attorney, according to the report.
• Reuters said it could not find records showing Zacharia was registered as an attorney or a member of the bar in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia.
• Zacharia was an associate at Zhong Lun Law Firm in Beijing from 2011 to 2013 and general counsel at Fix California, an advocacy group, from 2024 to 2025, according to her LinkedIn profile, cited in the report.
• Fix California founder Ric Grenell said in a text message that Zacharia was a senior adviser who led the group's outside counsel, according to the report.
• Zacharia said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that she practiced international transaction law with the appropriate credentials, according to the report.
• Zacharia earned her law degree from Pepperdine University in 2011, according to the university, cited in the report.

Bar-record search, employment history and statements via Reuters, LinkedIn, Grenell and Pepperdine University, cited in the original report. Zhong Lun Law Firm did not respond to requests for comment, and the White House did not respond to questions about Zacharia's legal background, according to the report. Original headline: "New White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's legal career draws scrutiny".