Reports question new White House spokesperson's legal credentials
In short
South Korean outlets reported questions about the legal credentials of new White House spokesperson Keiti Jakaria (케이티 자카리아), citing The Washington Post. They said the newspaper had found no record of a U.S. law license, while the White House described her international transaction work in China.
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New White House spokesperson Keiti Jakaria (케이티 자카리아) faces questions over her legal credentials after The Washington Post reported that it could not locate a U.S. law license in her name, according to South Korean news outlets. Chosun Ilbo reported that President Donald Trump announced her appointment on October 9 and described her as an attorney. Newsis said independent journalist Judd Legum had identified 18 Fox News appearances in which she referred to lawyer qualifications but had found no record of her passing a state bar examination. [ 1 , 4 ]
Pepperdine University confirmed on October 13 that she received a bachelor's degree in 2007 and a law degree in 2011, Newsis reported. Chosun Ilbo quoted the California State Bar as saying it had no licensing record under the names Kate Sharon Jakaria or Kate Sharon Black. The White House said she had moved to China after graduation and performed international transaction legal work there, the outlets reported. Newsis quoted a White House statement saying she had all necessary qualifications for that work, but reported that the administration provided no evidence of a U.S. law license. [ 1 , 4 ]
Accounts differ over her response to questions about where she qualified. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo reported that she answered China at her October 13 briefing. Newsis and Hankook Ilbo described her referring to moving to China while standing with Trump before a helicopter departure; Newsis said the audio was unclear. Legal-ethics specialists quoted by Newsis and Chosun Ilbo said a law degree does not itself confer a license to practice and that false or misleading claims about professional qualifications can raise ethical and legal problems. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Legal-ethics specialists quoted in the reports distinguished a law degree from a license to practice. They said misleading claims about lawyer qualifications could raise ethical and legal concerns.
Key facts
- Trump announced Jakaria's appointment on October 9 and described her as an attorney, Chosun Ilbo reported. [ 4 ]
- The Washington Post reported that its searches had not located a law license in her name, according to South Korean outlets. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- Pepperdine University confirmed she received a bachelor's degree in 2007 and a law degree in 2011, Newsis reported. [ 1 ]
- The White House said she performed international transaction legal work in China, according to Newsis and Chosun Ilbo. [ 1 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether Jakaria holds a license to practice law remains unresolved. The reports describe unsuccessful record searches and a White House response that did not supply evidence of a U.S. license.
- The precise setting and wording of her response about China differ across accounts. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo place the answer at a briefing; Newsis and Hankook Ilbo describe a question while she was with Trump before a helicopter departure.