Chris LaCivita

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.

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. Tobin's conviction was overturned on appeal.

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 Tennessee, 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.

During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, LaCivita and Tony Feather launched a new 501(c)4 issues advocacy group, the American Issues Project, after a series of meetings with other Swift Boat donors. In August 2008, AIP began airing ads in battleground states seeking to raise questions about Democratic Party presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama's ties to former student radical William Ayers. The American Issues Project has a sole donor, Harold Simmons, an 87-year old Dallas billionaire who was also a principal donor, along with T. Boone Pickens, to the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth PAC. On October 10, 2008, a campaign finance watchdog group, Democracy 21, filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission about the group's alleged violations of election campaign law.

In 2009, LaCivita was the general strategist for Ken Cuccinelli's successful bid for Attorney General of Virginia.

in 2010 LaCivita is focusing on working with Virginia Senator Robert Hurt who is running for Congress in Virginia's 5th Congressional District.

Fall 2010, LaCivita is Political Director of NRSC.

External links

• Bio of LaCivita on his company's websiteLink is dead
• Media Matters, October 28, 2006, "NY Times failed to inform readers who GOP consultant (LaCivita) really is"

• NY Times August 25, 2004, Graph showing connection of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to DCI Group via Chris LaCivita
• New York Sun, October 12, 2006, "Avalanche of Cash Is Set to Descend on Election Battle"
• NY Times October 28, 2006, "Virginia Senate Candidate Attacked Over His Novels"
• Washington Post describes LaCivita as former Marine
• Democrats sought to question LaCivita in civil suit
• National Review says LaCivita got Purple Heart
• Electing the President, 2004 - An Insiders View, by Kathleen Hall Jamieson - see page 184
• Race sent George Allen into the pits
• 2006 Senate race: Allen and Webb in near tie