ans ▁for ▁Tr uth ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁president ial ▁campaign , ▁Sp a eth ▁ad vised ▁the ▁Swift ▁Bo at ▁V eter ans ▁for ▁Tr uth , ▁a ▁group ▁that ▁question ed ▁the ▁Democratic ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁John ▁Ker ry ’ s ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁record . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁election , ▁the ▁term ▁" Sw ift ▁Bo ating " ▁( or ▁" swift bo ating ") ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁common ▁expression ▁for ▁a ▁campaign ▁attack ing ▁oppon ents ▁by ▁question ing ▁their ▁cred ibility ▁and ▁patri ot ism ▁in ▁a ▁d ish on est ▁manner . ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁most ▁often ▁used ▁with ▁the ▁pe jor ative ▁meaning ▁of ▁a ▁sm ear ▁campaign . ▁ ▁Work ▁with ▁Ken ▁St arr ▁ ▁Sp a eth ▁was ▁h ired ▁as ▁a ▁communic ations ▁consult ant ▁to ▁Ken ▁St arr , ▁an ▁att orney ▁who ▁served ▁as ▁Sol ic itor ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁under ▁George ▁H . ▁W . ▁Bush ▁and ▁Special ▁pro sec utor ▁for ▁the ▁White water ▁controvers y ▁during ▁the ▁Cl inton ▁Administration . ▁St arr ▁was ▁then ▁serving ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁Bay lor ▁University ▁during ▁the ▁Bay lor ▁University ▁sexual ▁assault ▁sc andal . ▁As ▁president , ▁St arr ▁had ▁received ▁email ▁messages ▁from ▁a ▁female ▁student ▁who ▁claimed ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁ra ped , ▁though ▁he ▁later ▁denied ▁receiving ▁the ▁messages . ▁In ▁a ▁television ▁interview ▁with ▁K WT X - TV , ▁Sp a eth ▁was ▁present