Storm over the qualifications of the new White House spokeswoman as a lawyer

The spotlight is on in the US over the claims of the new White House spokeswoman Katie Zacharia about being a lawyer, a statement which is not reflected in the lawyers' registers.

When asked after her first news conference on Tuesday in which state she passed the bar exam, she responded curiously: "When I moved to China." The woman later told the New York Times that she misunderstood the question because of the noise from the Marine One helicopter and that she thought she was being asked, "Where were you after law school?"

According to the English media, it does not appear from any public documentation that she has ever been licensed to practice law in the American states in which she resided, and her response to journalists' questions on Tuesday did nothing but fuel suspicions. White House communications director Steven Cheung was vague and said Zacharia is “uniquely qualified and brilliant to help inform the American people.”

Responding to questions about his qualifications, Zacharia said in a statement this week: "I have practiced as a lawyer specializing in international trade law, with all the necessary qualifications."

A watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, filed a complaint with the California State Bar Association. “In California, calling yourself an unlicensed lawyer is not an exaggeration, but a crime,” Michelle Kuppersmith, the group's executive director, said in a statement.