White House defends new press secretary Katie Zacharia amid questions about her legal credentials

The White House is defending its new press secretary, Katie Zacharia, as she faces scrutiny over her legal credentials.

But when she was asked on Tuesday by a reporter in which state she had passed the bar exam required to be an attorney in the US, she said standing alongside the president: "When I moved to China."

Responding to questions about her credentials, Zacharia said in a statement this week: "I practised international transaction law, with all the appropriate credentials."

They are seeking an investigation into whether Zacharia "repeatedly held herself out to the public as entitled to practise law without a licence to do so, conduct California law treats as a crime".

She said she was advised by the university president that she could call herself a lawyer, but not an attorney.

A person with direct knowledge of the matter told the outlet that Zacharia took the exam around the same time that she was planning a wedding and preparing to move to China with her husband-to-be.

She moved to Beijing because of her husband's job at an American private equity firm. Zacharia has said she worked on "international transaction law" there.

In China, only Chinese citizens are eligible to obtain a licence to practise law. Foreign employees may work at law firms in other roles.

Zacharia has also served as general counsel for Fix California, a conservative non-profit started by Trump ally Ric Grenell, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Commentator Katie Zacharia picked as new White House press secretaryPublished5 days ago

1:07Russell Brand was a 'sexual predator', prosecutors allege. 00:01:07, play videoRussell Brand was a 'sexual predator', prosecutors allege