Chris LaCivita

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

[edit] Political career

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 former 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 former 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.

In 2006, LaCivita was senior strategist for Congressman Vern Buchanan, who won a contested primary and general election in FL-13 by less than 400 votes. LaCivita also ran an independent organization (Floridians for a Better and Brighter Future) during the Florida gubernatorial primary election in 2006, whose target was former Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher. Charlie Crist won the party’s nomination, and was subsequently elected Florida’s governor. LaCivita also served as general consultant to Senator Bob Corker's successful primary campaign in Tennesee, as well as the general consultant for Senator George Allen.

During the 2006 U.S. 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.

Childhood

Chris was born in suburban Pittsburgh, Pa., his father's hometown. His mother, a suburban Philadelphia girl and graduate of Archbishop Prendergast High School in Upper Darby, met his father at Villanova University, where they both worked for the Catholic Library Association. Chris' father, a Duquesne University graduate and public relations executive, moved the family from Pittsburgh to Bon Air, Va., an affluent, leafy suburb of Richmond, when Chris was 12. He and his brothers, having attended Catholic schools from first to eighth grades, attended Midlothian High School in the neighboring village of Midlothian, Va.

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