NRED AI mining startup's tie to Katie Zacharia was never real, she says

Katie Zacharia, who was removed as White House press secretary on October 16, 2026, five days into the job, has disputed her link to NRED Intelligent Mining, a Canadian company that now markets itself as an AI and robotics-driven mineral exploration venture. Asked whether she still sat on its advisory board, Zacharia replied: "That was fake."

On June 24, the firm, then called NovaRed Mining and operating as a small copper-and-gold explorer in Vancouver, announced that Zacharia would join its advisory board alongside former Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem. The release said she would advise the board on exploration projects and emerging artificial intelligence initiatives. Zacharia had left a spokesperson role at the Department of Homeland Security about two months earlier.

Talks, but no role

Sam Amsterdam, a media consultant who described himself as a friend of Zacharia, said the release was issued without her consent. Valentin Saitarli, NRED's former chief technology officer who says he is becoming CEO, confirmed there had been discussions about a position but said it never materialized. Even so, the announcement remained on the company's website as of October 16, and an archived version listed Zacharia among management from at least July. Saitarli said the site was being updated.

Her background had already drawn scrutiny during her short tenure. Although she had presented herself as an attorney for much of her career, she eventually acknowledged she never passed the California bar.

From cash-strapped explorer to AI platform

Canadian press reports earlier this year described the company as generating no revenue, with just $65,689 in cash in January. From the spring, it began filling its advisory board with figures tied to defense and politics rather than geologists. In early October, NRED said it was abandoning its flagship Wilmac Copper-Gold Project to focus entirely on MetalCore, an AI-assisted mineral exploration platform.

Phil Ehr, a retired Navy commander running for Congress as a Democrat in Florida, said he joined despite knowing nothing about mining and resigned soon after Noem's arrival. Other advisers include Gregory Fedun and producer Lee Caplin. The episode raises questions about how buzzwords like AI and critical minerals can be used to lend credibility to firms with little industry track record.