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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Woman Alleges Condit Aide Told Her to Remain Silent About Affair

Aired July 26, 2001 - 20:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, yet another woman says she had an affair with Gary Condit, and she says a top aide to the congressman told her to keep quiet. We'll hear what Condit's aide has to say.

He considered himself a friend of Gary Condit. Now he says that if Chandra Levy was his daughter, he'd put his hands around Condit's neck. I'll have an exclusive interview with Colorado Congressman Scott McInnis.

A Florida youngster who murdered his teacher faces sentencing. Will the punishment fit the crime?

And frantic efforts to head off a new stream of molten fire heading down Mount Etna in Sicily. We'll get a live update from the slopes of the volcano.

Good evening. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting tonight from Capitol Hill.

I'll have my live exclusive interview with Congressman Scott McInnis shortly. But first, the latest developments in the search for Chandra Levy.

The case has taken more strange twists. Another woman has come forward to say she too had an affair with Congressman Gary Condit, and that one of his aides urged her not to speak with law enforcement authorities. Condit's aide, Michael Dayton, has flatly denied the allegation. Still, this new development has raised new questions about possible obstruction of justice in the investigation, and that's our top story.

To bring us up to date on the allegations and the investigation, let's turn to CNN national correspondent Bob Franken, he is standing by live in our Washington bureau -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the woman who was known by law enforcement authorities now as the watch woman, the woman that gave a watch to Congressman Gary Condit. The watch case -- this is all according to sources, of course -- the watch case was what sources say Condit disposed of when he left his apartment shortly before the July 10 search of the apartment that he had volunteered to let police do. This was something that was in a garbage bag that he disposed of in Alexandria, Virginia. Law enforcement authorities were called, and they traced it back to Joleen Argentini McCay, who was a staff person for Condit in 1994. Told authorities that she had had a romantic relationship with Condit, in spite of the fact, as she tells "USA Today," that Condit's chief of staff in Washington, Mike Dayton -- who is a high school acquaintance of hers -- had told her that she should not talk to the D.C. police, should not talk to investigators, should not tell about this romantic relationship.

Of course, Condit has admitted to investigators, according to police sources, that he had a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy, who has been disappeared for over 12 week now. Dayton, Wolf, has denied it, saying that the allegations that were made in the "USA Today" article are absolutely not true -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And Bob, all week long we've been anticipating this fourth interview that Congressman Condit is supposed to give to the FBI. What do we know about this meeting?

FRANKEN: Well, there was a hope that it could be concluded this week. Of course, it's been an ongoing negotiation. The latest part of the negotiation is that the D.C. police department is probably going to get its way, there will probably be -- if and when the interview takes place -- will be a D.C. detective in the room, along with the FBI profiler. There's some hope that it happens tomorrow.

BLITZER: Bob Franken in Washington, thank you very much.

He's a colleague of Gary Condit, and as we've noted, he's always considered himself a friend. But he says there appears to be another side to Gary Condit that his friends were not aware of. Joining me now is Congressman Scott McInnis, he is a Republican from Colorado. He's angry and upset about Gary Condit's conduct.

Why are you so upset about the behavior of Congressman Condit?

REP. SCOTT MCINNIS (R), COLORADO: Look, Wolf, I try and look at this situation -- I'm a father of two daughters -- and I try and look at this situation through the eyes of my daughters, or through the eyes of parents who have interns up here.

I mean, every congressman on the Hill is very dependent upon the internship program, and in addition to that, the internship program is a wonderful program for young people and it is being trashed across the entire country. It's on late night talk shows. I mean, we've got to -- it falls way below the standards of this institution.

BLITZER: What do you think about the way he has behaved in response to the disappearance of Chandra Levy?

MCINNIS: Well, I disagree very strongly with his behavior, frankly. I think he had an obligation to do maybe what he is doing today, having these interviews with the police officers, three months ago. I can tell you that if it were a regular person on the street, in my opinion, they would have yanked -- I used to be a cop -- we would have had him down at the police station, we would have been grilling him with questions. Why he was allowed to delay for that period of time and on his own volition, delayed coming forward to try and so- called -- as his attorney says -- assist the police, that's what's, in my opinion, reprehensible.

There is a missing girl here, and now we learn today that there's another intern who was his intern who now alleges that he had an affair with her as well. The police and the Ethics Committee and the Congress need to get right to the bottom of this, so that we don't allow anymore damage to the institution.

BLITZER: I know that you have two daughters that are roughly Chandra Levy's age, and you have spoken out passionately about -- God forbid -- if you were in a situation like this.

MCINNIS: Well, let me tell you, you know, if somebody came up and slapped one of my daughters while we're standing in line waiting for a theater I would go after him. And here, she's missing. And I do feel very emotional about this and I'm trying to express my feelings as a father, and I think most fathers and mothers across this country feel.

And you know, we have got interns that don't want to be called interns anymore because of the ridicule that's going out there, the wisecracks coming out on these late night -- I mean, this is an important program to preserve. Gary Condit has brought disgrace to this institution through his behavior. It has taken away from the creditability and the honor of the institution, and that's why I'm speaking out.

BLITZER: Should he resign?

MCINNIS: Well, in my opinion, he should, yes.

BLITZER: Why?

MCINNIS: Well, let me tell you, not so much the situation he may or may not have had with that stewardess -- but I think it is unethical, frankly, for a congressman to have a relationship -- a sexual relationship with an intern, and I intend tomorrow to go to the Ethics Committee and ask the Ethics Committee to immediately draft a rule to be adopted by the House of Representatives that makes it very clear that's unethical for a United States congressman to have a sexual relationship with an intern.

These interns, as in this case, are young people -- the congressmen generally are quite older than the intern, they are in impressive age, and it's like a lawyer sleeping with a client, it should not happen. And in this institution, it should not be allowed. And if it has happened, the congressman should face the repercussions, despite the wall of silence, despite the fact that I consider -- let me tell you, I haven't found anybody prior to this incident that said a bad word about Gary Condit. He is a nice guy, he seems to get along very well with people, he's probably one of the warmest people up here.

But he has crossed the line, and we have got to have enough gumption to stand up and say, enough is enough.

BLITZER: The current ethics regulations in the House ethics manual, it says: "Members of Congress, employees of the House should conduct themselves at all times in the manner that reflects credibly on the House." But you want to go much further than that.

MCINNIS: Well, I can tell you, just based on what you said right there, there is a clear violation. This does not reflect in a credible fashion or a positive fashion -- what that statement means -- upon the U.S. House of Representatives.

The activity that's taken place is reprehensible. Not to speak of -- this is just on the activity here -- not to speak of the disappearance of an intern whose parents trusted that in Washington, D.C. she would be safe. It's the same thing now with this intern coming out of California. You know, we have to assure this nation that this is an institution of honor and that that our interns are not back here for the love making purposes of U.S. congressmen.

BLITZER: But as of this point, his attorney, Abbe Lowell, makes the point that there is not a shred of evidence that he was involved in the disappearance of Chandra Levy.

MCINNIS: It is not the disappearance -- and by the way, I agree with that attorney, from what I know. I don't know -- second of all, that attorney is being paid a lot of money -- I'm not sure where it's coming from -- but he's being paid a lot of money to defend that aggressively, for which he is well-known for.

The fact is, we have ethics back here in the U.S. Congress that apply to interns. Just the fact that Mr. Condit may have had an affair with an intern in California who worked for him in my opinion does not meet the standard of bringing credibility to this institution.

The obstruction of justice questions, the fact that he has waited this long, in my opinion, to help get his PR and his attorney on board to preserve his career, while at the same time, the consequences to a family that is in a very, very deep, deep need, was being ignored to preserve a congressional career.

BLITZER: And the fact that it's taken him this long, the whole notion that he should have come clean right from the beginning, you can understand the embarrassment, though, he might have had in acknowledging an affair?

MCINNIS: Let me tell you -- yeah, yeah, OK, you know, and that's what people are trying to say. Oh my gosh, Gary would be embarrassed if he had an affair with an intern -- now it turns out to be two interns perhaps, and even two interns and a stewardess, and now -- you know, I mean, give me a break!

The victim here is this missing intern's family. I mean, that's what we ought to be taking a look at. I'll tell you, if I was -- as I said earlier, I mean, I feel strongly about this. I would have come up here and grabbed Gary by his collar, by his neck and said: "Tell me what you know. Maybe you didn't have anything to do with her disappearance, but tell us today what you know."

The Washington, D.C. police should have done it that day, and I'm sure that the father would have liked to have gotten a hold of him the next day, and -- cooperate! We are not saying you killed her, or she is gone, or whatever, but tell us what you know. Don't wait for 12 -- three months -- and frankly, I think the only reason that he has spoken at this point is because of the press, the media pressure. That's what brought it out now.

BLITZER: As you know, there are not many members of Congress, Democrats or Republicans, who have spoken out as forcefully as you. There is only a handful who even have been ready to say anything.

MCINNIS: Well, it's very difficult for most of my colleagues, it's difficult for myself, until I began to look through Chandra Levy's eyes or her parents's eyes or through my daughters' eyes -- it's very hard to talk about someone who is well-liked -- I think he's probably prior to this was one of the most popular members on the Hill.

I have never seen him where he acted discourteous or rude. I mean, I thought he had a lot going for him. I had no idea that this -- you know, there was another side.

Now that there is another side, we should stand up and talk about it. And we have an obligation to do that for the institution, for the honor of the institution, and for the missing family.

BLITZER: The fact that his chief of staff, his spokesmen were saying for -- what? -- seven, eight weeks, denying any sort of affair, romantic relationship with Chandra Levy, and now there are reports that the chief of staff may have urged another witness, this other woman, to not cooperate with law enforcement authorities -- what does that say?

MCINNIS: Well, let me tell you, I am considering -- and this is rarely done -- but I am considering filing a request with the Ethics Committee, a complaint against Mike Dayton, the chief of staff.

BLITZER: Mike Dayton.

MCINNIS: Mike Dayton, the chief of staff. If, in fact, any of this is true, that is now coming out, it appears to me that he's also in violation of the House ethics. Now, the House ethics covers staff as well, so clearly no staff should be instructed or take those instructions from their congressman to obstruct justice. If they've done that, they're being a pawn to obstruct justice, and they should immediately tell their boss they're leaving their job. It's interesting nobody has left their job with Mr. Condit.

And if this took place with the young lady out of California, on behalf of Mr. Dayton, he is clearly in violation of House ethic rules, and discipline should be taken.

BLITZER: Congressman Scott McInnis, it was kind of you to join us here on Capitol Hill.

MCINNIS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thank you very much. Thank you.

And in other news: Facing a prison term ranging from a mandatory minimum of 25 years to life. 14-year-old Nathaniel Brazill appeared at a sentencing hearing today, saying he deeply regrets the murder of his favorite teacher.

Let's go live to West Palm Beach, Florida, and CNN's Mark Potter for details -- Mark?

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, the actual sentence will be imposed tomorrow just before noon, Eastern time. Today's hearing took almost all day, and at times was very emotional.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POTTER (voice-over): The last witness of the day was Nathaniel Brazill himself. The 14-year-old read a prepared statement, and apologized to the community and the family of Barry Grunow, the teacher he shot and killed last year.

NATHANIAL BRAZILL, CONVICTED MURDERER: I am sorry for the pain I have caused the Grunow family. Mr. Grunow was a great man and a great teacher. I'm sorry I took him away from you. I have been thinking a lot about how his kids will feel when they are my age. I have been thinking a lot about Mrs. Grunow, and how alone she is.

POTTER: The court also heard from Nathaniel Brazill's parents. His father expressed his sorrow to the Grunow family. Polly Powell, his mother, asked the court for mercy for her son, and also addressed the Grunows.

POLLY POWELL, BRAZILL'S MOTHER: We know you're hurting. I know you're hurting. As a mother, even though Mr. Grunow is gone, Nathaniel is gone from me right now, too. I just pray that one day you all forgive him for what he has done.

POTTER: The prosecution's witnesses included Barry Grunow's relatives, friends and colleagues, who talked about Barry's love for his family and his students.

JOHN HLAWKA, VICTIM'S FATHER-IN-LAW: We all lost somebody very near and dear to us, who can't be replaced. He was a person who saw a need, and he tried to help.

POTTER: Barry Grunow's widow also read a brief and emotional statement.

PAMELA GRUNOW, WIDOW: I only hope that I can contribute something to this difficult decision. I hope that as a society we can somehow create good out of this sad loss of the public servant and the great guy that I loved.

POTTER: Some of the Grunow family members asked that Brazill be sentenced to life in prison, a recommendation echoed by the prosecutor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

POTTER: Now, because he is being sentenced as an adult under Florida's strict gun use law, Brazill faces at least a mandatory 25- year prison term. The defense argued against any stiffer sentence -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mark, I know there's been a lot of speculation that Governor Jeb Bush in the end might reduce whatever sentence Nathaniel Brazill gets. What are the prospects of that?

POTTER: The defense doesn't have any hope of that at all. Certainly not now. The defense attorney says he expect that this will have to go all the way through the appeals process before the governor can even be consulted on this.

BLITZER: Mark Potter in Florida, thank you very much. Here in Washington, meanwhile, the president may be taking an "if you can't lick 'em, join 'em" approach to the standoff over a patients' bill of rights. Competing measures would assure millions of Americans access to specialists and emergency room care, but the president has long vowed to veto a bill backed by Democrats which would give patients a broad right to sue their HMOs.

A number of Republicans also favor that bill, including a sponsor, Georgia congressman Charles Norwood. While the president supports the legislation that would allow patients a limited ability to sue HMO's, he says he rejects anything that will encourage lawsuits. But in a tactical shift today, he met with Norwood, seeking what he called "common ground."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm deeply worried about any legislation that will cause people to have less health insurance. I refuse to accept that legislation. Now, having said that, I've been in some serious discussions today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHARLES NORWOOD (R), GEORGIA: We're not changing anything. We're talking towards a package that we've been talking about for five months. None of this is any good unless we can get a signature, and we're getting -- we're moving, I think, in the right destruction.

BLITZER: And this late word tonight: Key supporters of the bipartisan patients' rights bill have turned aside a White House compromise offer, calling it -- quote -- "positive, but in need of further clarification." Pentagon sources say the United States is planning a military response to Iraq's latest attempt to shoot down a U.S. aircraft. Sources say an Iraqi missile exploded close enough to rattle a high- flying U2 surveillance plane like the one shown, during a patrol of the southern no-fly zone Tuesday. The U.S. bombs Iraqi air defenses on a regular basis, but sources say the targets this time likely will include early warning radar used to track the reconnaissance planes.

She was convicted of spying this week by China, but U.S.-based scholar Gao Zhan has arrived back in a Virginia suburb of Washington, after being freed on medical grounds. Gao is married to a Chinese- born U.S. citizen. Their parents remain in China.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAO ZHAN, RELEASED SCHOLAR: Before I departed Beijing, I was warned not talk about anything. Not talk about my time, my experience in China in any form, which includes meeting you guys here, writing articles, writing books in the future. But with America standing behind me, with this fine people standing behind me, I'm not scared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Gao and a U.S.-based Chinese businessman convicted of spying were freed after Secretary of State Colin Powell met with his Chinese counterpart at a regional forum in Vietnam. Powell's next stop: Beijing.

Back in World War II, the United States used 29 Marines who spoke Navajo to transmit sensitive information. The Japanese never were able to crack the language. Today President Bush honored the Navajo code talkers. Four of them and relatives of the 25 others were at a ceremony here on Capitol Hill. Mr. Bush presented them with the Congressional gold medal, the highest civilian award given by Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHESTER NEZ, NAVAJO CODE TALKER: Everything was up here. Packed, and it was secured that way. And nobody knew. The Japanese pulled all their hair out trying to decipher the code.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Navajo code was used throughout the Pacific front during some of the war's fiercest battles.

Just ahead, we'll have a live report from the side of an erupting volcano. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Updating you now on a story we told you about last night. Italy is waging a scorching battle against Europe's most-active volcano. Workers are using everything from military bulldozers, to water- dropping helicopters, to calm the fury of Mount Etna.

CNN's Matthew Chance is on the scene, with a live update.

Matthew, tell us what's going on tonight?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, what is going on tonight is that volcano erupting behind my shoulder, that's continuing in a very intensive fashion. There had of course been hopes expressed by the Italian government that the worst of the eruption at Mount Etna, Europe's biggest acting volcano, had come and gone. That's certainly not what we have been seeing over the course of today.

We've been seeing those renewed plumes of smoke and hot lava being spurt high into the skies over Sicily and, of course, fresh flows of lava and loud, underground volcanic explosions that have literally been rocking the southern slopes where we have been standing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): The thundering slopes of Mount Etna spewing shocking gas and thick volcanic ash. Flesh lava flows or burst out of the southern approaches, an entire ski resort is under threat. The ski lifts have already been swallowed up.

No one knows for sure how long these eruptions will last, but this is Europe's biggest active volcano at its temperamental worst.

(on camera): This is as close to the center of the eruption, that we have been advised is safe enough to go. With each hour that passes, this flow of molten lava edges closer to the populated areas in the valley below, but despite the hopes of the Italian government, the worst of this eruption was over.

Where I am standing here in the intensive heat, on the slopes of Etna, it seems this Sicilian monster is as unpredictable and as dangerous as ever.

(voice-over): In the lava's path, Italian emergency teams are creating banks of earth racing, they say, to divert the scorching flow. Officials say the threat is not immediate but whole towns and villages could be at risk.

COMM. GIANLUCA FERLITD, FOREST GUARD: Walls are important because we have try to block the lava. We are -- have more time for defend our property.

CHANCE: How much risk would you say the people who live on the slopes are in?

FERLITD: The risk is great.

CHANCE: A thick cloud of ash has already blanketed towns and villages on the slopes below. There are efforts to clear the streets, but many here are expecting more choking fallout from their turbulent neighbor. UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We live on Mount Etna, and we are now used to the problem, we are not scared. The problem has always been solved, and we don't want to leave.

CHANCE: But even in an area used to occasional eruptions, tension is focused on what this smoldering mountain will do next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: Volcanologists hear on the ground have said what they are seeing in this new eruption could be some kind of new, more powerful face, attention now more than ever is focused on what the coming hours and what the coming days will bring, Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance on the slopes of Mount Etna. Thank you very much, and once again, please be safe up there.

Up next, I'll open our mailbag. Are we being fair to Congressman Gary Condit? Many of you have strong opinions. I'll share them when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back.

Time now to open our mailbag. Many of you have strong feelings about Gary Condit.

Richard from New York writes this: "Congressman Condit hold the vital information that unlocks this mystery."

Kathie from Covington, Virginia: "I cannot believe that members of Congress would put their political careers or concerns about losing a congressional seat above their moral responsibility."

But this from Bisola in Nigeria: "If tomorrow we find out that Gary Condit had nothing to do with this disappearance, is anyone going to apologize for this public humiliation he's had to suffer."

On our coverage of the case, Marty writes from New Jersey: "I am saddened when you as a talented journalist spend so much time and space on a missing person case, and neglect what Bush is doing. Chandra Levy is the best thing that has happened to this administration."

A different view from Beth in New York: "What a travesty it would be if no-one in the media followed the Condit-Levy story. This is not sensationalism. This is crime reporting."

Remember, I want to hear from you. Please e-mail me at wolf@cnn.com. Or go to our Web site where you can also read my daily on-line column. That's cnn.com/wolf.

Please stay with CNN throughout the night. Much more on the Chandra Levy on "LARRY KING LIVE" at the top of the hour.

That's all the time we have tonight. Thanks very much for watching.

I'm Wolf Blitzer on Capitol Hill. "THE POINT WITH GRETA VAN SUSTEREN" begins right now.

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