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Police Interview Condit for Third Time

Aired July 07, 2001 - 18:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: We'd like to bring you up-to-date on the search for Chandra Levy, the missing intern in Washington, which took a dramatic turn today. District of Columbia Metropolitan Police say they have interviewed Representative Gary Condit for a third time late today in their effort. A police spokesman told us this just a short time ago. Our Bob Franken has been working on this story since the disappearance of Ms. Levy nine months (sic) ago, and he has some information about today's meeting -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What we have not been able to, Stephen, pin down is whether this interview happened today or even yesterday, or in Washington or out of time. We're going to get those kinds of details at 7:00, I would expect, when the assistant police chief, Terrance Gainer, holds a news conference, which, of course, as you pointed out, we'll be carrying live.

Now, the issue, of course, that has gotten police more and more interested is the question, although it may seem peripheral to many, of what was the nature of the relationship that Congressman Condit had with 24-year-old Chandra Levy, who is the missing former intern. She wasn't an intern for Congressman Condit; she was an intern elsewhere in town.

There have been recurring reports that the two of them had a romantic relationship for a considerable period of time. Congressman Condit, though a spokesman, specifically denied that that was the case. In the last few days, the denials have stopped. What has occurred instead is comment from people like his lawyer, et cetera, saying what does it matter. What does that have to do with the disappearance of Chandra Levy?

Well, the police have been giving some indications that they now have been told by Congressman Condit -- indications, we do not have it directly, adequately that that, in fact, that was occurred during the interview -- but there have been indication from those who have been involved in the investigation that that's what they have been told; indications such as Chief Gainer -- Assistant Chief Gainer, now saying he believes that there was a romantic relationship. Chief Gainer is somebody who would have participated in the interview with Congressman Condit.

That is as far as we can go with that. We're going to find out what Chief Gainer will be telling us. I can also report that Condit's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, is in his office with the public relations person who has hired by the Condit effort. They are trying to decide whether they will craft a statement. In recent days, Lowell has been saying in a variety of venues that the media have made too much out of the private life of Congressman Condit.

But now the police are saying that they are extremely interested, they confronted Congressman Condit directly, to ask him about the relationship, saying that the degree of the relationship could have a direct bearing on how much he might know about the disappearance. We should find out many of the details in a few moments when Congressman Condit's interview is described to us by Assistant Chief Terrance Gainer -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: And we should point out, Bob, that this information that the police are hoping to get from the congressman comes in -- almost in the absence of any other hard evidence, and in the wake of a lot of allegations made publicly by people around the case, not central to it, about this relationship and what might have happened to the intern.

(CROSSTALK)

FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, I might point out that the most recent evidence -- quote, unquote -- came from an aunt, Linda Zamsky, of Chandra Levy. She said that she had been told by Chandra Levy that they former intern was having a relationship with Condit. The police have interviewed Zamsky and a number of other people.

FRAZIER: And this is a congressman trying to do his job in Washington. We understand that he met privately last week with the minority leader, Dick Gephardt, and pledged that he would hold on to his seat, that he has no intention of resigning.

FRANKEN: Well, we've been talking with his party and other members of Congress throughout this, and he has repeatedly told the various people that are his colleagues that he did not have a romantic relationship. One of them put it this way, Condit said I did nothing that I'm ashamed of. Others have said that the stories are just not true. If, in fact, the police have now gotten him under the threat, by the way, that if he lies during a police interrogation, that is a crime, but if, in fact, that now has become the case, he's going to have some explaining to do to the colleagues he had assured otherwise.

FRAZIER: And we should point out, Bob, that as you had said earlier in the week, that police have talked to more than 100 people, and most of their investigation has been of this nature, interview with potential witnesses, people who might have something to offer. They have very little hard evidence, in spite of the fact that they've done such steps as taking cadaver-sniffing dogs to metropolitan dumps looking for any idea of a body.

FRANKEN: Let me talk about that. That has not actually happened yet. They've announced that they're going to do it. It will occur next week. Getting those dogs is not that easy to arrange, number one, and number two, the police continuously have said this is not because they believe that harm has come to Chandra Levy, as this would suggest, but rather they just want to check out the possibilities. But they have more and more come to the conclusion that the nature of the relationship between Congressman Condit and the intern is really something that is important to their trying to find the intern, and now we are getting indications from the various police announcements that they have come to conclude that there was such a relationship. But up until now, of course, anything that the congressman would or would not say to the media has no media implication, but if you are directly confronted with a question and you answer it in a lie in a police investigation, that itself is a crime.

FRAZIER: Bob, as you pointed out a moment ago, the District Metropolitan Police have promised it will have a few things to tell us when they greet reporters at 7:00. I know you'll be watching that then. We also have Martin Savidge from the congressman's district in Modesto, California watching. We'd like to let our views know that we will be bringing that news conference to all us of live beginning at 7:00.

Bob, thank you for those insights tonight.

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