Chris LaCivita

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American political consultant Chris LaCivita, is currently an employee of Crosslink Strategy, a conservative lobbying and political consulting firm founded by John McCain advisor Terry Nelson. LaCivita is often mentioned for his role as media advisor to the Swift Boat Veterans. A former US Marine, LaCivita was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds received while serving in the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

[edit] Political career

After serving as the executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, LaCivita was campaign manager for George Allen's successful US Senate race in 2000 against the incumbent Chuck Robb.

During the 2002 midterm elections, LaCivita was the political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. LaCivita was the direct supervisor of James Tobin, another employee of the DCI Group. In 2005, Tobin was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for his role in the 2002 NH phone jamming scandal for his activities during that campaign; LaCivita was on Tobin's witness list but never called. Democrats, who sought testimony from LaCivita for a civil suit tied to the same incident, recently settled that civil suit out of court.

In 2003, LaCivita served as President of Progress for America, later giving that role to fellow-DCI employee Brian McCabe while LaCivita became its executive director.

LaCivita is also a one-time employee of the Republican political consulting firm DCI Group, which has close ties both to Progress for America and to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. During the 2004 US Presidential campaign, LaCivita was principal media advisor to the Swift Boat Veterans, writing & producing commercials for them.

During the 2006 US elections, he served as General Consultant for Republican George Allen's unsuccessful 2006 Senatorial campaign against Democrat Jim Webb.

Interviewed in March, 2007, LaCivita told reporters that the GOP could silence the press uproar over the sudden dismissal of eight US Attorneys by promoting stories about the most extreme among anti-Bush activists. "When are we going to make it about Code Pink and the rest of the liberal weirdos controlling the Democrat agenda?" he asked.