Richard Socarides (born 1954) was a White House adviser under United States President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1999 in a variety of senior positions, including as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Adviser for Public Liaison. Among other things, he served as Clinton's adviser for gay and lesbian issues, and also as Chief Operating Officer of the 50th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). After leaving the White House, he worked as the Senior Vice President of corporate communications at New Line Cinema from 2003 to 2005.