Katie Zacharia Was Linked to an AI Rare-Earths Startup. It’s Even Weirder Than It Sounds
wired ·
Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was listed as an adviser to NRED Intelligent Mining, a company pivoting to AI-driven rare earths mining and linked to Kristi Noem. Although a press release announced her joining the board alongside Noem, both Zacharia and company executives state she never actually worked there. Zacharia’s representative Sam Amsterdam claimed the announcement was issued without consent, while CTO Valentin Saitarli described the situation as discussions that never materialized. Despite these denials, the press release remained on the company website, and archived records showed Zacharia listed in management through July. The advisory board also included other political figures like Phil Ehr, who resigned after Noem joined due to controversy. This revelation adds to the scrutiny of Zacharia’s brief tenure, which already faced questions over her legal credentials and past MLM affiliations. Zacharia was fired from her White House role shortly after these details emerged.
wired