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Joe Lockhart

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Joe Lockhart
Lockhart in 2009
21st White House Press Secretary
In office
August 4, 1998 – September 29, 2000
PresidentBill Clinton
DeputyJake Siewert
Preceded byMike McCurry
Succeeded byJake Siewert
Personal details
Born
Joseph Patrick Lockhart

(1959-07-13) July 13, 1959 (age 65)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationGeorgetown University (BA)

Joseph Patrick Lockhart (born July 13, 1959) is a spokesman and communications consultant, best known for being the 21st White House Press Secretary during the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton. Previously, he had worked as press secretary for several Democratic politicians, including Walter Mondale, Paul Simon, and Michael Dukakis. Following his work as press secretary in the Clinton administration, he was an advisor to John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign. He subsequently founded and became managing director of the communications consulting firm The Glover Park Group, worked for Facebook from 2011 to 2012, and was executive vice president of communications and public affairs for the NFL from 2016 to 2018.[1][2][3]

Early life and career

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Born in The Bronx, Lockhart is the son of Ann Teahan and Raymond Lockhart, a longtime NBC producer associated with The Huntley–Brinkley Report and special-events coverage.[4][5] He grew up in Suffern, New York. In 1978, he moved to Washington D.C. to attend Georgetown University, where he received a BA in History. In 1980, he worked on Jimmy Carter's presidential reelection campaign.[6][7]

He was press secretary for the 1984 presidential campaign of Walter Mondale, then worked for Paul Simon in the Senate. Stints with ABC and CNN followed, then the presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis in 1988. He moved to Robinson, Lake, Lerer & Montgomery with Mike McCurry, then back to ABC when they hired his (former) wife and colleague from the Mondale campaign, Laura Logan.[7][8]

Another stint with NBC covering the Romanian Revolution in 1989 preceded his first on-air job with Sky News, reporting on the Gulf War and then business. Private practice with Robinson, Lake followed, where he handled publicity for the Al Nahayan family during parts of the BCCI scandal.[7]

Clinton presidential campaign and the White House

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At a time when Lockhart was considering working for AOL, Mike McCurry recruited Lockhart back into politics, and he joined the 1996 Clinton re-election campaign.[9] He served as the campaign spokesman and, following President Clinton's successful reelection, as Deputy Press Secretary to McCurry. After standing in for him on occasion to brief the press, Lockhart eventually succeeded McCurry and delivered his first briefing as Press Secretary in October 1998.[10]

Lockhart handled press relations during Clinton's impeachment and the 2000 Camp David Summit.[11][12] Lockhart calls the pre-impeachment period in December 1998 the "most harrowing" weeks of his career.[13]

After the White House

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Lockhart was brought on to the John Kerry presidential campaign as a senior advisor in September 2004.[14]

On September 8, 2004, CBS News aired a controversial report on presidential candidate George W. Bush's military record. The authenticity of the Killian documents used in that report remain under scrutiny.[15] Over the next few days, it was discovered that Joseph Lockhart, then senior advisor to presidential candidate John Kerry, had made a phone call to Texas National Guard officer, Bill Burkett on September 4, 2004.[16][17] Lockhart stated later that an unnamed female CBS producer asked him to contact Burkett.[16][17] Lockhart has denied that the call with Burkett had anything to do with the National Guard issue.[17]

Lockhart co-founded the consulting firm The Glover Park Group, becoming its Managing Director.[2] In June 2011, he joined Facebook as the head of the company's corporate, policy, and international communications team. Not wanting to relocate to the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, he left the company in October 2012.[18]

On February 15, 2016, Lockhart was introduced as the new executive vice president of communications and top public relations official for the National Football League; he left the job after the 2018 Super Bowl to spend time with his family.[19][3]

Personal life

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Lockhart was previously married to Laura Logan, Deputy Press Secretary for John Glenn's 1984 presidential run and a longtime ABC News producer.[7] In 2013, Lockhart married Giovanna Gray.[20] They divorced in 2022.

In 2016, it was announced that President Obama and his family planned to rent Lockhart's Kalorama home after he left office. It was later revealed that the Obamas purchased the house from Lockhart in May 2017, saying that it made sense to own the property since they would remain in Washington D.C. for at least two more years.[21]

References

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  1. ^ Michelle Quinn (June 15, 2011). "The new face of Facebook: Lockhart". Politico. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Joe Lockhart - Founding Partner and Managing Director". The Glover Park Group. 2010. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Maske, Mark. "Joe Lockhart leaving NFL as chief spokesman". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  4. ^ Henneberger, Melinda (October 5, 1998). "Speaking for the President, With Knowing Humor". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  5. ^ Stout, David (July 24, 1998). "New spokesman heeds hard lesson from 1988". New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2016. Joseph Patrick Lockhart was born July 13, 1959, in the Bronx and grew up in Suffern, N.Y.
  6. ^ "Joe Lockhart, vice chairman of public affairs at Edelman and former Clinton WH press secretary". politico.com. July 13, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Kurtz, Howard (September 9, 1998). "Joe Lockhart's Insider Job". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ "The new face of Facebook: Lockhart". politico.com. June 15, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "The new face of Facebook: Lockhart". Politico.
  10. ^ "William J Clinton Press Briefing by Joe Lockhart". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  11. ^ "the clinton years". www.pbs.org. January 16, 2001. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  12. ^ "Mideast talks end with no agreement". cnn.com. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  13. ^ "Perspective | I worked in the White House during impeachment. Trump's team isn't ready for it". Washington Post. October 4, 2019. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  14. ^ Leibovich, Mark (September 17, 2004). "New Strategists Join Kerry Campaign". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  15. ^ "Years after CBS scandal, answers to Bush questions elusive". AP News. October 22, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Johnson, Kevin; Moniz, Dave; Drinkard, Jim (September 20, 2004). "CBS arranged for meeting with Lockhart". USA Today. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  17. ^ a b c Kasindorf, Martin; Benedetto, Richard (September 21, 2004). "Parties lob accusations over suspect papers". USA Today. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  18. ^ Palmer, Anna (October 5, 2012). "A Clintonite's breakup with Facebook". politico.
  19. ^ Banks, Don New NFL PR czar Joe Lockhart talks Manning, CTE, Trump and more Sports Illustrated. March 22, 2016
  20. ^ Laskey, Margaux (December 29, 2012). "When the Timing Is Right". New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  21. ^ Krissah Thompson, Kathy Orton, and Emily Heil (May 31, 2017). "The Obamas just bought their rental home in Washington". The Washington Post.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Sources

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Political offices
Preceded by White House Press Secretary
1998–2000 		Succeeded by
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