Campaign for Accountability renews its call for a State Bar investigation
Campaign for AccountabilityWatchdog organization, through executive director Michelle Kuppersmith
Campaign for Accountability said Zacharia's departure from the press secretary job did not change its view that she had held herself out as a lawyer, and it again urged the State Bar of California to investigate and impose any appropriate penalties.
“Katie Zacharia getting pushed out as White House Press Secretary is completely immaterial to the fact that she consistently, and apparently falsely, held herself out as a lawyer. This is a crime in California, so we continue to urge the State Bar to investigate and impose any appropriate penalties.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Katie Zacharia defends her legal credentials as watchdog seeks bar investigation
Campaign for Accountability asked the California State Bar to investigate Katie Zacharia's public descriptions of herself as a lawyer and her work for Fix California. Zacharia told AP, through the White House, that she practiced international transaction law with appropriate credentials. The dispute concerns what she represented about her qualifications and whether those representations or her work violated California law.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Campaign for Accountability press release issued October 16, 2026, after reports that Zacharia was leaving the press secretary job, two days after the group filed its complaint with the State Bar of California.
Before the quotation
The group issued the statement on October 16, after news broke that Zacharia was leaving the press secretary job and two days after it filed its complaint with the State Bar.
After the quotation
The October 14 complaint asked the State Bar to examine both her public descriptions of herself as a lawyer and her work as general counsel of Fix California.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The matter under scrutiny is how Zacharia described her legal qualifications. The group says she apparently falsely held herself out as a lawyer and asks the State Bar to investigate and penalize her.
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More from this case
Read the full caseMcQuade says Zacharia's general counsel title would violate California law
“Using the title “general counsel” would seem to be “holding oneself out as entitled to practice law.” And without a license, that use would put Zacharia in violation of California law.”Read statement
Trump says he was not hiring Zacharia to be a lawyer
“Well, I wasn’t hiring her to be a lawyer, ... I would say it probably wouldn’t have mattered.”Read statement
Hannity asks Zacharia why she didn't just say she never practiced law
“Why get into this long, drawn-out definition between the difference between a lawyer and an attorney? ... Because I don’t think most people see much of a distinction. Why didn’t you just say, ‘I never practiced law?’”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Campaign for Accountability renews its call for a State Bar investigation". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6262-campaign-for-accountability-said-zacharia-s-departure-from