What Did Katie Zacharia Tell Federal Hiring Officials About Her Legal Credentials? Questions Remain

By SNN Newsroom | October 14, 2026

WASHINGTON — Questions about White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia’s descriptions of her legal qualifications have produced a second, still-unanswered question: what professional credentials did she represent to federal hiring officials before she was appointed?

SNN has not obtained a résumé, application, appointment packet or credential-verification record that Zacharia submitted for her White House position. There is no basis to assert that she made a false statement on a federal form or that the government failed to conduct a legally required verification.

What the public record establishes

Pepperdine University confirms that Zacharia received an undergraduate degree in 2007 and a law degree in 2011. Earning a law degree is not the same as being admitted to practice law. The Wall Street Journal reports, citing a person with direct knowledge, that she took the 2011 California bar exam and did not pass. The California State Bar has told journalists it found no licensing record under the names checked. Other reporting has not established admission to a U.S. bar.

After being asked about a bar examination, Zacharia made an incomplete or unclear reference to moving to China. She has said she performed international transactional law work with appropriate credentials. Working for a law firm abroad does not alone establish admission to practice law there or in the United States. SNN’s earlier report covered a watchdog complaint asking California’s licensing authority to investigate descriptions of her legal background. The complaint is not a finding of wrongdoing.

Previous federal service may provide an agency records trail

According to Associated Press reporting on her professional history, Zacharia spent approximately two months earlier in 2026 as a deputy assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security. SNN is examining what hiring and qualifications documentation DHS might possess relating to that earlier appointment.

Any such documents would address the DHS appointment, not necessarily what was provided for the White House position. A law license is not a legal prerequisite for serving as White House press secretary.

Can reporters obtain the records?

The White House Office itself is generally outside the Freedom of Information Act. Federal agencies including DHS and the Office of Personnel Management can receive FOIA requests for records they possess, subject to exemptions and other limits. A targeted request could seek existing, reasonably identifiable records showing job title and appointment dates; any releasable résumé, professional biography or representation of qualifications submitted for the DHS role; and documents reflecting whether a particular legal license was claimed or checked, if such records exist.

Personnel privacy exemptions may require agencies to withhold or redact records, even where the public has a legitimate interest in government hiring. SNN does not seek protected security questionnaires, Social Security numbers, residential addresses, medical records or similarly sensitive personal information. FOIA cannot require an agency to answer hypothetical questions or create records that never existed.

Because the White House Office is generally not covered by FOIA, direct questions and requests for voluntary disclosure are the more appropriate initial route for information solely in its possession.

What if an employment document contained a material false statement?

18 U.S.C. § 1001 prohibits certain knowingly and willfully materially false statements or documents in matters within federal jurisdiction. Application of the law would depend on facts establishing what was said, whether it was knowingly false, and its materiality. SNN has no evidence that Zacharia made a materially false statement in a federal hiring record or that she faces a federal investigation. Potential legal rules should not be confused with allegations in this case.

Unanswered questions

Did Zacharia provide the White House with a résumé or written statement of qualifications? Did it identify any bar admission or legal license? Did personnel officials verify any claimed professional credentials? What qualifications did she provide DHS for her previous federal role? Does she or the White House have documentation clarifying the jurisdiction, nature and scope of the legal credentials she has described?

Zacharia and the White House should have the opportunity to answer these questions on the record. SNN will update this report if official records, responsive statements or other verified developments become available.

Source documents and reporting: Pepperdine University; Associated Press; Wall Street Journal; Campaign for Accountability; OPM FOIA guidance; FOIA statute; 18 U.S.C. § 1001.