New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia said on Thursday that she never passed the bar exam, after scrutiny emerged over her legal background and previous descriptions of her as a practising lawyer.
Zakaria, who joined the White House team on Monday, had previously stated that she practised law before entering politics. President Donald Trump had also referred to her as a lawyer.
When asked during an appearance on Fox News' Hannity programme whether she had failed the bar exam, Zacharia replied: "That's correct."
Admission during television interview
The issue arose during an interview with host Sean Hannity on Thursday evening.
"You didn't pass the bar exam, right?" Hannity asked.
"Correct," Zacharia responded.
When Hannity asked whether she had taken the examination a second time, Zacharia replied that she had not.
Law degree but no licence to practise
According to Pepperdine University, Zacharia earned a law degree from the institution in 2011.
While nearly all licensed attorneys in the United States first obtain a law degree, they cannot practise law unless they subsequently pass the bar exam and are admitted to a bar association.
Briefing draws criticism
Zacharia also faced criticism following her first White House press briefing on Tuesday.
During the briefing, she took questions from only three journalists before ending the session after approximately 15 minutes.
Some commentators and political analysts criticised the appearance, although Trump later told reporters: "I think she was very good."
Says preparation time was limited
Asked by Hannity about the criticism surrounding her debut briefing, Zacharia said she believed she had fulfilled her responsibilities and noted that she had very little time to prepare for the role.
Sources: Reuters, ANA-MPA
