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CNN Live At Daybreak

Aunt of Chandra Levy Claims Knowledge of Secret Relationship With Gary Condit

Aired July 06, 2001 - 08:01   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We begin with late developments in the Chandra Levy investigation. Levy's aunt, talking with reporters now, is giving details of an alleged intimate relationship and attempts to keep it quiet. And the FBI is interviewing Congressman Gary Condit's wife about Levy's disappearance.

CNN's Bob Franken covers this growing story from the nation's capital -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, let's remember where it begins.

It begins with the disappearance more than nine weeks ago of a 24-year-old former Washington intern, Chandra Levy. It also now has spread to the effort of the FBI interviewing the wife of Congressman Gary Condit. That occurred in a very secretly set-up manner in the FBI offices in Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington. The Condits flew to Washington very, very privately, missing July 4 parades back home in their congressional district around Modesto, California.

Of course, all of this has really been magnified by the charge that has been repeatedly made that Congressman Gary Condit had a romantic relationship with the missing intern, Chandra Levy, something that up until now, Condit's office has been denying.

But now, in a media campaign that has been coordinated by the attorneys for the family of Chandra Levy, the aunt of Chandra Levy has come forward and is doing news interviews. She has spoken with CNN and confirmed a "Washington Post" account in which she describes Chandra telling her of a very secretive relationship, romantic relationship that she had with Congressman Condit.

It included gifts of chocolate and bracelets. It included weekends -- according to the aunt's description of Chandra Levy's comments -- at the Condit apartment. And she said at one point she found out by accident about Condit.

She said: "I asked, 'How did you get in touch with him if it's so secret, this relationship?' Zamsky recalled. And she said, 'Well' -- and this is when she came and accidentally said his name to me -- she would dial a number. It would play music and she would leave a message. She said, 'I would also call the office and they would answer 'Gary Condit''. And that's how his name came out. And she goes, 'Oops,' she says, 'You didn't hear that.' And I said, 'No.' And, of course, I did, Zamsky said. I made real light of it. I kind of dummied up because I wanted her to feel comfortable."

Those are quotes that were contained in "The Washington Post" article, as I said. We have spoken with Linda Zamsky. And she confirms that is the account of her getting the information from Chandra Levy that Levy was claiming that she had a romantic relationship with Congressman Condit.

Now, of course, the entire private life of Congressman Condit has become part of, if not the investigation, part of the media accounting of all of this, which has really frustrated the man who is leading the Washington, D.C. investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES RAMSEY, D.C. POLICE CHIEF: It's a heck of a leap, in my opinion, to move from a relationship that one may or may not have had with someone else to a disappearance of a specific person. I am not trying to find a flight attendant. I am trying to find Chandra Levy. Those are two different people. And I just can't go in there and try to -- we're not the sex police here. We are trying to investigate a missing person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: The police chief was talking about a claim by a flight attendant that she had a romantic relationship with Congressman Condit -- and a reminder that this is about a search for somebody who has been gone for nine weeks. And there is still no trace of Chandra Levy -- Carol.

LIN: Bob, when you speak of a search, have police talked about getting a search warrant to search Gary Condit's apartment?

FRANKEN: They have not. They say that this is not a criminal investigation, that they do not have any reason to have a search warrant. As a matter of fact, they say, at this particular point, they haven't really come up with a reason to do that. But, of course, they hold open that option.

LIN: All right, thank you very much, Bob Franken, reporting live from Washington.

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