Lawrence Di Rita
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Di Rita was a close aide to United States Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld
and is currently a spokesmen for Bank of America Corp
.
Di Rita served as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
and U.S. Department of Defense spokesmen under Secretary Rumsfeld. Reportedly, he was slated to become Secretary of the Army but his nomination was scuttled due to opposition in the United States Senate
. His prior position was Special Assistant to Rumsfeld. Throughout his time in the Pentagon
, Di Rita was considered the Defense Secretary's right-hand aide. Even after Rumsfeld's resignation, Di Rita was authorized by Rumsfeld to speak on his behalf to TIME
magazine
regarding matters such as Rumsfeld's current plans and activities.
Di Rita received a bachelor's degree
from the U.S. Naval Academy
and a master's degree
from Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies. He served as a U.S. Navy
officer until 1994 at which time Di Rita joined the Heritage Foundation
as Deputy Director of Foreign Policy and Defense Studies. Di Rita was Policy Director to the 1996 Presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Phil Gramm
and Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
from 1996 until 2001.
In February 2001, he was one of the first to join Rumsfeld's Pentagon staff. In addition to handling legislative relations, press relations, and special projects for the Defense Secretary, Di Rita was also a regular squash
opponent of Rumsfeld. He left the Department of Defense and joined Bank of America in May 2006.
After the toppling of the regime
of Saddam Hussein
in 2003, Di Rita was assigned to assist retired Army general Jay Garner
, Director of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) in Iraq
. He spent nearly two months in Baghdad
helping Garner and ORHA lay the foundation for the arrival of Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
and the Coalition Provisional Authority
. Di Rita returned to Washington
and the Department of Defense, where he assumed the responsibilities as chief Pentagon spokesman and head of DoD Public Affairs. He later served as Counsellor to the Department of Defense, prior to his departure to the private sector
.
Lawrence Di Rita has a column in the National Review Online.
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
and is currently a spokesmen for Bank of America Corp
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
.
Di Rita served as acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, or ASD is the principal staff advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for public information, internal information, community relations, information training, and audiovisual matters in support of...
and U.S. Department of Defense spokesmen under Secretary Rumsfeld. Reportedly, he was slated to become Secretary of the Army but his nomination was scuttled due to opposition in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. His prior position was Special Assistant to Rumsfeld. Throughout his time in the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, Di Rita was considered the Defense Secretary's right-hand aide. Even after Rumsfeld's resignation, Di Rita was authorized by Rumsfeld to speak on his behalf to TIME
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
regarding matters such as Rumsfeld's current plans and activities.
Di Rita received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the U.S. Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
and a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
School of Advanced International Studies. He served as a U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer until 1994 at which time Di Rita joined the Heritage Foundation
Heritage Foundation
The Heritage Foundation is a conservative American think tank based in Washington, D.C. Heritage's stated mission is to "formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong...
as Deputy Director of Foreign Policy and Defense Studies. Di Rita was Policy Director to the 1996 Presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Phil Gramm
Phil Gramm
William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
and Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
from 1996 until 2001.
In February 2001, he was one of the first to join Rumsfeld's Pentagon staff. In addition to handling legislative relations, press relations, and special projects for the Defense Secretary, Di Rita was also a regular squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
opponent of Rumsfeld. He left the Department of Defense and joined Bank of America in May 2006.
After the toppling of the regime
Regime
The word regime refers to a set of conditions, most often of a political nature.-Politics:...
of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
in 2003, Di Rita was assigned to assist retired Army general Jay Garner
Jay Garner
Jay Montgomery Garner is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was appointed in 2003 as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq but was soon replaced by Ambassador Paul Bremer and the ambassador's successor...
, Director of the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He spent nearly two months in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
helping Garner and ORHA lay the foundation for the arrival of Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
L. Paul Bremer
Lewis Paul "Jerry" Bremer III is an American diplomat. He is most notable for being the U.S. Administrator to Iraq charged with overseeing the country's occupation after the 2003 invasion. In his role as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, he reported primarily to the U.S. Secretary of...
and the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
. Di Rita returned to Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and the Department of Defense, where he assumed the responsibilities as chief Pentagon spokesman and head of DoD Public Affairs. He later served as Counsellor to the Department of Defense, prior to his departure to the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
.
Lawrence Di Rita has a column in the National Review Online.