Relieved of her duties after an extraordinary five-day tenure as White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia spent her final hours on the job confronting mounting scrutiny over her professional history. Throughout her brief time at the podium, her credentials triggered widespread questions across political circles. Central to the controversy was her claim of having worked as an attorney for extensive portions of her career, an assertion undermined by the fact that she never passed the California bar exam, a reality she was eventually forced to concede. Her record also included past work as an affiliate marketer for Beachbody, a multi-level marketing fitness brand. Adding another layer of intrigue to her turbulent trajectory is her connection to NRED Intelligent Mining, an artificial intelligence focused resource exploration venture featuring former Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem as a strategic advisor.
The Canadian Exploration Venture and Advisory Board Claims
Originally operating under the name NovaRed Mining out of Vancouver, Canada, the small entity focused on copper and gold exploration before pursuing a rebranding effort. On June 24, NovaRed published a formal press release revealing that Zacharia was appointed to its advisory board alongside Noem. The timing was notable, as Zacharia had stepped away from her position as a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson just two months earlier. Under the terms outlined in the announcement, Zacharia was slated to provide strategic counsel to the board of directors as NovaRed pursued both mineral exploration projects and emerging artificial intelligence programs.
Subsequent inquiries revealed deep contradictions regarding whether Zacharia ever performed any actual duties for the company. When asked on Friday whether she maintained an active seat on the board, Zacharia flatly dismissed the arrangement, stating, “That was fake.” She directed further inquiries to Sam Amsterdam, a strategic marketing and media engagement professional whose prior client portfolio includes the government of Kazakhstan and various political factions across Georgia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe.
Disputed Announcements and the Analogy of an Unused Gym Pass
Amsterdam clarified that while his brother holds a position in NRED management as listed on the corporate website, his own comments were delivered strictly as a personal friend and professional colleague of Zacharia rather than as an official corporate spokesperson. According to Amsterdam, the press release had never received Zacharia's authorization and was distributed entirely without her consent. He emphasized that although exploratory discussions had taken place regarding a potential position, she never formally joined the organization.
Valentin Saitarli, who served as chief technology officer of NRED and indicated he was transitioning into the role of chief executive officer, corroborated that preliminary discussions had occurred. However, Saitarli confirmed that the proposed arrangement never came to fruition. In describing the stalled relationship, Saitarli remarked that it was comparable to purchasing a gym membership without ever showing up to exercise. Characterizing the operational focus of NRED, Saitarli underscored that the enterprise is fully oriented toward robotics and artificial intelligence.
Despite Amsterdam's belief that the public notice had been retracted, the press release declaring Zacharia's appointment remained visible on the NRED website through Friday. Historical records of the web domain demonstrated that Zacharia had been documented among company management dating back to at least July. When questioned regarding the lingering documentation, Saitarli stated that the platform was undergoing revisions.
Kristi Noem's Involvement and Operating Strains
Zacharia's advisory appointment had been made public eight days following the announcement of Noem joining the company. During her time at the Department of Homeland Security, Zacharia worked under Noem's leadership as deputy assistant press secretary for public affairs for approximately one month. During that period, observations circulated regarding her alignment with de facto chief of staff Corey Lewandowski, though Zacharia firmly denied having any personal ties with him.
The announcement welcoming Noem to the advisory board of a Canadian natural resource operation triggered backlash north of the border. Canadian observers pointed directly to previous statements in which Noem referred to Canada as the 51st state. Operational reviews at the time characterized NovaRed as an early-stage exploration outfit generating no revenue. By January, the company's financial reserves stood at a modest $65,689 in cash. Company disclosures openly acknowledged that this balance fell short of covering anticipated operational overhead for the upcoming 12-month period.
A Dramatic Pivot Away From Mining Toward Outer Space
Facing tight resources in the spring, NovaRed altered its corporate trajectory. Standard practice for junior exploration companies typically involves populating advisory boards with veteran geologists, field engineers, and technical specialists. Instead, NovaRed began assembling a roster dominated by figures linked to national security circles, the MAGA movement, and foreign political interests.
The company escalated this repositioning by announcing a complete retreat from its primary Wilmac Copper-Gold Project. Leadership committed all remaining resources toward commercializing MetalCore, promoted as an AI-driven mineral exploration system designed to automate geological targeting.
Saitarli outlined an unconventional ambition for the firm, emphasizing plans to pioneer an entirely new era of autonomous extraction. Saitarli questioned whether society should remain confined to outdated methods, asking why anyone would choose the stone age or the age of horses when the future offers possibilities like living on Mars, staying in orbital hotels, and hosting wedding celebrations on the moon. He maintained that the company intends to introduce advanced robotics and artificial intelligence across global mining operations and eventually beyond terrestrial frontiers.
Internal Apprehensions and Advisory Board Departures
Phil Ehr, a retired United States Navy commander and Democratic candidate seeking a congressional seat in Florida, had joined NovaRed earlier in the year. Ehr openly acknowledged possessing zero technical expertise in mining or commodity trading, explaining that his participation was driven by an awareness of the nation's pressing demand for copper and critical minerals. However, within months of joining, Ehr was taken aback when the company announced the recruitment of Noem and a Department of Homeland Security communications official whom he recalled as Zacharia.
Reflecting on the sudden expansion, Ehr recalled that Zacharia appeared concurrently with Noem without any prior internal consultation. Noem had recently concluded her oversight of a contentious federal enforcement presence in Minneapolis involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an operation that generated intense public controversy. Ehr found himself unwilling to share organizational affiliation with her, questioning leadership on why Noem was selected given their profound philosophical divisions regarding governance.
Ehr also questioned why the company was recruiting personnel who lacked mining industry foundations. Instead of adding technical geologists, NovaRed's advisory ranks included Gregory Fedun, who previously worked as a key consultant to the Al Mualla Royal Family of the United Arab Emirates on international undertakings, as well as Lee Caplin, a media executive known for co-producing the HBO television series True Detective. Disturbed by the organizational direction, Ehr submitted his resignation from the advisory panel shortly after Noem arrived.
Direct Sales Roots and an Abrupt Dismissal
Even as questions surrounding her association with NRED unfolded, Zacharia was attempting to manage other aspects of her background. On Thursday evening, while still serving as White House press secretary, she advised reporters to speak directly with Jenelle Summers, a fitness influencer who originally brought her into the Beachbody multi-level marketing network, to obtain clarity on her past business dealings.
Summers shared that she had connected with Zacharia online and held limited detailed memories of their interaction, noting primarily that Zacharia was consistently polite, enthusiastic about fitness, and engaged with the company's product line. Summers observed that Zacharia had not conducted substantial commercial activity within the enterprise. Furthermore, Summers pushed back against Zacharia's own description characterizing the arrangement as a pyramid scheme, maintaining that it operated legitimately as a network marketing business structure.
Zacharia offered no official comment regarding her sudden dismissal from the White House. When informed that Zacharia had been removed from her press secretary post after only five days, Amsterdam expressed surprise, remarking that the news was completely unexpected. The rapid unraveling of her role has left lingering questions about vetting procedures and the strange intersections of corporate branding, government communication, and speculative technology ventures.
