GoKawiilNRED Mining disputes Katie Zacharia's board role after press release named her alongside Kristi Noem
Katie Zacharia, who briefly served as White House press secretary before being fired, was named in a June 24 press release as joining the advisory board of NRED Intelligent Mining alongside former DHS secretary Kristi Noem. Zacharia now says the announcement was fake and never consented to it, with an associate claiming the release was issued without her approval even though discussions about her joining had occurred.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The episode adds to scrutiny of Zacharia's professional background, which already included questions over an unpassed bar exam and past work as a Beachbody affiliate marketer. It also raises questions about how small exploration companies like NRED may use high-profile names to generate publicity, since the release tied an AI-driven mining venture to a sitting administration's former press secretary and cabinet official.
- Katie Zacharia was named in a June 24 release as an advisor to NRED Intelligent Mining alongside Kristi Noem.
- Zacharia says the release was issued without her consent and calls the announcement fake.
- The controversy follows other discrepancies in Zacharia's resume, including an unpassed bar exam and MLM marketing work.
Source: wired.com — Tess Owen, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “Katie Zacharia Was Linked to an AI Rare-Earths Startup. It’s Even Weirder Than It Sounds”
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