Katie Zacharia's Claimed Role at AI Mining Startup Was Never Actual, Company and Associates Say
The former White House press secretary's announced advisory board position at a Canadian mining firm pivoting to AI appears to have existed only in a press release.
What happened
Katie Zacharia, fired five days into her role as White House press secretary, was announced on June 24 as joining the advisory board of NRED Intelligent Mining (then NovaRed Mining), alongside former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Zacharia told WIRED the announcement was "fake" and referred questions to Sam Amsterdam, a strategic marketing professional. Amsterdam stated the press release was issued without Zacharia's consent, though discussions about a potential role had occurred. NRED's chief technology officer and incoming CEO Valentin Saitarli confirmed discussions took place but that the role "never materialized," comparing it to "signing up for a gym but never actually going for a workout." Despite these denials, the press release remained on NRED's website as of the time of reporting, and archived versions showed Zacharia listed in management.
Context
Zacharia's involvement with NRED is notable given her brief tenure as press secretary, during which her professional history came under scrutiny. According to WIRED, despite claiming to be an attorney for much of her career, she never actually passed the California bar. WIRED also reported that she served as an affiliate marketer for Beachbody, a fitness MLM. Her connection to the company is also significant because it involves Kristi Noem, her former boss at DHS, and reflects a pattern of NRED stacking its advisory board with defense-sector connected figures and political operatives rather than mining industry technical experts. NRED itself underwent a pivot away from traditional copper-gold exploration toward AI-assisted mineral exploration ("MetalCore") around the spring following initial financial constraints—the company held only $65,689 in cash in January. Phil Ehr, a retired Navy commander and Democratic congressional candidate who had joined NRED's advisory board earlier in the year, resigned from the advisory board not long after Noem joined, indicating he did not want to be associated with her due to their differences on federal government policy.
What's disputed
Whether Zacharia ever actually held or accepted any role at NRED. Amsterdam and Saitarli both state discussions occurred but the position was never finalized; Zacharia herself characterized the announcement as "fake." Saitarli indicated the website was being updated, but WIRED found the press release and Zacharia's management listing still present as of reporting.