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Congressman Condit Acknowledges Romantic Relationship With Missing Woman

Aired July 07, 2001 - 20:30   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: Police in Washington, D.C. announced tonight that they have interviewed California Congressman Gary Condit for a third time in connection with the disappearance of government intern Chandra Levy. During a news conference seen just a few moments ago here on CNN, the chief -- assistant chief said the interview was conducted Friday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRANCE GAINER, WASHINGTON, D.C. ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF: We have been asking for clarity, and I said that yesterday, and he provided the clarity that we needed.

QUESTION: Do you plan on having future interviews with the congressman?

GAINER: There's no plan for that, but the congressman and his wife and his attorney have indicated that they will continue to cooperate with the metropolitan police department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRAZIER: Joining us now for more insights into this investigation, Bob Franken who has been following it during its entire nine weeks since Ms. Levy first disappeared -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chief Gainer would not say so explicitly, but he was dropping a hint that just anybody who was covering this investigation could pick up, and it's reinforced by police sources who say that Congressman Condit admitted to the police that he was having a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy at the time of her disappearance.

This, of course, has been something that up until recently that his various representatives and spokespeople have repeatedly denied. In the last several days, his lawyer and others in his organization have really changed their tune a little bit -- not denying it, just saying it really has nothing to do with the disappearance.

Well, police really wanted to know the exact nature of the relationship, and it had not been clarified in the two previous interviews that they have done with Congressman Condit nor in the interview they did with his wife a few days ago. So, he was required to answer that question. His lawyer let him answer all the questions.

Of course, when you're being interviewed by police and by federal agents, it is a crime if you do not give truthful answers. So, he was asked that specific question and he answered yes, he was having a romantic relationship.

His attorney Abbe Lowell has been leading the charge against media saying that the private life is really not what's involved here, what is involved is the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the 24-year-old intern. She was not an intern for Congressman Condit, she was an intern for the Bureau of Prisons. That internship was suddenly terminated, she was heading back to California and then she disappeared -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: And Bob, a lot of this was accelerated by revelations from Chandra Levy's aunt Linda Zamsky earlier in the week that Ms. Levy had confided to her that there was a romantic relationship. That seemed to put the heat on this.

FRANKEN: Well, it put the heat in a public sense, and I will tell you that the public declarations of that were coordinated by the attorneys and public relations people who were respecting the family of Chandra Levy. The very clear believed that there was a romantic relationship.

The aunt, Linda Zamsky, who lived a couple of hour drive from Washington and was frequently visited by Chandra Levy -- the aunt says that Chandra had told her directly that there was a romantic relationship. Of course, we saw all kinds of coverage about that yesterday, and the police talked to her. That was a part of the puzzle.

They became convinced that there was this romantic relationship, and they required Congressman Levy (sic) to be faced with that question. He answered it, and as the police chief, the assistant police chief said, the congressman seemed relieved that this facet of the investigation is behind him.

FRAZIER: Bob, thank you. Let's turn to Martin Savidge now who is reporting tonight from Modesto, California, that's where the congressman maintains his California district office.

Martin, you have heard the police chief say that although the congressman added some new information about the nature of his relationship with Ms. Levy, they are no closer to understanding where she -- who also is a resident of that area -- could be located now.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's the primary concern of everyone here in this community. They want to know where Chandra Levy is, they want to know how she is. And certainly, it is the primary concern of her family that also lives in this area.

We are waiting to see if family members of Chandra Levy, who up prior to the news conference, up to the revelations that CNN has found, had said that they really did not want to speak to the media. They had nothing more to say at this particular moment. We are waiting to see if perhaps these revelations have changed their minds, and we are waiting to see if they are willing to talk to us.

As for the people in this community, though, something that has not changed is the silence of their congressman. And that, as we have said, has been the most troubling aspect for many of them. This was a man that they knew was approachable, this was a man that they could go to with a problem. That was one of the qualities that they prized so much about him.

So, it is not only just the issue of perhaps feeling somewhat betrayed. After all, it was his aides and the congressman who emphatically told them that he did not have a romantic relationship. Apparently, now is admitting that, in fact, he did. The honesty factor here could be important for his constituents. This is a community that has some very basic moral beliefs, and they cling to them and they expect them of the people that they elect, so that could be a factor later in other elections.

But for right now, the big question is: where is Chandra and how can she be found -- Stephen.

FRAZIER: And no additional information to that from the police tonight. Let me thank you both, Martin Savidge in California, Bob Franken from Washington. Thank you very much for that. We will bring you more news as developments warrant throughout the course of the evening.

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