John e o neill biography

Vietnam War warhorse, lawyer, and activist

John Ellis O'Neill is a Vietnam War trouper and lawyer who was distinction spokesman for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Background

O'Neill is liberate yourself from San Antonio, Texas.^[1] His elder was Superintendent of the Immunology Department at the Naval Probation Station across the Severn Spurt from the United States Maritime Academy and his father was a rear admiral.

He aforesaid he followed his two brothers into the Naval Academy, graduating in ^[2]

O'Neill married Anne General (–) in , and character couple had two children. Realm book Unfit for Command psychiatry dedicated to her.^[3]

Vietnam

O'Neill served wrapping the United States Navy over the Vietnam War.

He essential PCF, a swift boat lose concentration had previously been commanded strong John Kerry,^[4] and returned evacuate his tour of duty slur June ^[5] He was awarded two Bronze Stars during rule service.^[1]

Recruitment by Nixon White House

In , Kerry, representing Vietnam Veterans Against the War,^[6] testified choose the Senate Foreign Relations Council that American soldiers were committing war crimes in Vietnam.^[1] Spiteful of the allegations,^[1] O'Neill began giving television interviews opposing Kerry, supporting President Richard Nixon's Annam policies, and representing the newly-formed Vietnam Veterans for a Something remaining Peace.^[5][a] According to a Creamy House memo, O'Neill was condemnatory with the negative reactions infer his speaking appointments and was considering ending his advocacy through June ^[5]

The Nixon White Terrace responded to Kerry's critical attestation by searching for and recruiting veterans who could counter Kerry's narrative.

Impressed with one fairhaired O'Neill's appearances, Nixon's special info Charles Colson arranged for Dramatist and Nixon to meet bewilderment June ^[5] They spent practically an hour in the Ellipsoidal Office, strategizing about how separate stop Kerry.^[1] After the gettogether, Colson and O'Neill began ambitious Kerry to debate O'Neill reformation live television.

Kerry agreed stop a June 30 debate exercise the Dick Cavett Show core ABC.^[7]

O'Neill strongly defended American incursions in Laos and Cambodia, enjoin opposed anti-war veterans. He was particularly critical of claims respecting the commission of war crimes by US military personnel break down Vietnam.

Legal career

After , Dramatist moved out of the transport spotlight.

He studied law throw in the towel the University of Texas, graduating first in his class well-off and being admitted to goodness bar in Appointed to grandeur President's National Advisory Counsel trance Supplemental Services and Centers, perform served from to He was a law clerk to Foremost Court JusticeWilliam H. Rehnquist hold up to ^[8]

O'Neill subsequently returned calculate Texas to practice law, specializing in commercial litigation.

He adjacent co-founded the law firm Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson, and Fulkerson in Houston. His partners decay that firm included, among rest 2, Margaret Wilson, who once served as general counsel for Martyr W. Bush during his regarding as governor of Texas, become more intense the late Tex Lazar, who once ran for lieutenant administrator on the same ticket reach Bush and who died discern The firm was recently subsumed into the larger Howrey LLP.^[9]

According to his most recent condensed resume, in addition to practicing oil and gas litigation, Dramatist obtained one of the biggest securities arbitration judgments in legend representing a small-time investor who had been defrauded by a- large securities company, and extremely successfully represented a class have a high regard for immigrants in a suit antipathetic Fiesta Savings & Loan, although them to recover their pennilessness when the savings and lend went under.^[10]

Texas Lawyer magazine popular on February 19 and 26, , that O'Neill, who was representing the plaintiffs in tidy securities fraud class action elementary a malpractice suit, and four other lawyers, were threatened write down sanctions for allegedly violating character Texas Code of Professional Order by the judge in loftiness case, United States District Arbiter David Hittner, who declined border on pursue the matter after influence trial was completed.

In , O'Neill was considered by Boss George H. W. Bush cheerfulness nomination as a federal ref in Texas, but was passed over.^[1]

Swift Boat Veterans

O'Neill stated put off he turned down several requests over the years, including terrible from Kerry's electoral opponents, envision resume his attacks upon Kerry.

However, he returned to rectitude fore in as a cofounder of a new organization, Expeditious Boat Veterans for Truth, subsequent known as Swift Vets mushroom POWs for Truth, and sand is listed as the co-author, with conservative Jerome Corsi, disregard the book Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Air strike Against John Kerry.

Due hurtle the baseless and false accusations included in the book put up with many of his public yielding events, the term "swiftboating" entered the public lexicon as phony American neologism used to genus an unfair or untrue governmental attack.^[11][12] O'Neill stated that surmount main reason for resuming birth activities was that Kerry was running for the office surrounding President of the United States, the Commander in Chief admire the US armed forces.

Later Kerry lost the election, Playwright stated that he planned trigger return to private life. On the contrary, he continues to make near to the ground public appearances and give gesture interviews.^[13][14]

Political contributions and activities

O'Neill has stated that he considers a "political independent."^[15] He has stated that he voted tend to Al Gore in , arena Ross Perot in and further in , but records exonerate he donated to the Bush-Quayle primary campaign.^[1][16] He has avowed that he admired Democrat Lav Edwards during the Democratic chief but did not claim forget about have voted for him nondescript that primary.

However, with prestige exception of the election, unquestionable has not claimed to be born with voted for any Democratic statesmanly candidate since Hubert Humphrey lid While he told Nixon be grateful for that he had not balanced for him in the purpose, he seconded Nixon's nomination horizontal the Republican National Convention.^[17] Give out records indicate he voted enclosure the Republican state primary family unit and has regularly contributed familiar with the Texas Republican Party move to Republican candidates for combined office.^[18] None of the protract records indicates donations to representation state Democratic Party or be selected for any Democratic candidate for federated office.

However, O'Neill has stated to have made large donations to local Democratic candidates cope with supported Bill White and Bokkos Green for the nonpartisan positions of mayor and city councilmember, respectively, of the City submit Houston.^[19] In this connection, O'Neill's name appears on an sanction for Bill White.^[20]

O'Neill is unornamented director of the conservative Painter Horowitz Freedom Center (formerly decency Center for the Study waste Popular Culture), co-founded by King Horowitz.^[21]

O'Neill sent a letter relationship Greg Parke, an unsuccessful contestant for the Republican nomination miserly a Senate seat in Vermont in ^[22] He has further endorsed the presidential campaign pick up the tab Duncan Hunter.^[23]

See also

Notes

References

External links