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CNN Live At Daybreak

Police Will Ask Gary Condit for Access to Apartment

Aired July 10, 2001 - 08:06   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: A police source tells CNN that officers will ask Congressman Gary Condit for access to his Washington apartment. And the parents of Chandra Levy are still demanding that Condit take a lie detector test.

The latest now from national correspondent Bob Franken -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The apartment search is brought on as the disappearance of Chandra Levy has now gone 10 weeks. And of course, they still have no idea about the whereabouts, often obscured by the debate over Congressman Gary Condit. But the authorities say that since his lawyer said that it would be OK if the police searched the apartment, there would be cooperation. We were told by police sources last night they were going to take them up on the offer.

They had not decided it was necessary thus far. Certainly, there were no warrants went out. But now Congressman Gary Condit's apartment will be searched by the police. Just how thorough that search will be is something we don't know yet. Of course, all of this is in the wake of the congressman admitting to police, according to law enforcement sources, on Friday night, that he did have a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy, after weeks of his spokespeople denying it publicly.

That has inspired from the family demands that Condit take a lie detector test, and it's a campaign that's being very tightly coordinated. His lawyer, Billy Martin, represents the Levy family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY MARTIN, LEVY FAMILY ATTORNEY: As a good faith gesture toward the family, take a polygraph. We're not accusing Congressman Condit of anything. We believe a polygraph would once and for all show the family that he has told the truth and has nothing to hide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: As I mentioned, the lawyer, Abbe Lowell, the lawyer for Congressman Condit, has told police that it is fine if they decide they want to search the apartment. As a matter of fact, he said he would cooperate in a number of ways, to make sure that this investigation became successful.

But the one area where there was not an absolute guarantee of cooperation was the lie detector test.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN: It has been 11 weeks since Chandra Levy disappeared. If you can imagine the pain and the anguish that her parents, Dr. Bob Levy and Sue Levy, are going through, you can imagine they just want to, as they say, find Chandra and bring her back home.

I would start with early May, near the end of April, the 1st, 2nd of May. Sue Levy had not hear from her daughter. She and her husband became concerned. They started reaching out to people. One of the first people they reached out to was Congressman Gary Condit. They called Congressman Condit at his office, spoke to Congressman Condit, and a very deep and moving question was asked by Sue Levy as she desperately tried to find her daughter: Congressman Condit, do you know where my daughter is? And more importantly, have you had an affair or were you having an affair with her?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: By now, you might have figured out that was not Abbe Lowell, the congressman's lawyer. What he has said is, with respect to lie detectors, there has been a great public appeal for a lie detector test. He said, "I know, from my practice, they leave a lot to be desired. But if the police call me, I will discuss it with them, but I will discuss it with them and not you." And of course by not you, he meant those of us in the media who have been following this case.

And one of the sidelights in this case has been the case of Anne Marie Smith -- Anne Marie Smith, the flight attendant, who said she too was having a romantic relationship with Gary Condit, and more importantly accused the congressman of trying to get her to sign a false sworn statement, which would have said that they were not having a romantic relationship. She is heading to Washington today with her lawyer, James Robinson. They have an appointment tomorrow with the U.S. attorney to discuss the case.

I will point out, Colleen, that Condit's lawyers say that all they did was send her a statement with instructions that were very clear to revise it any way she wanted.

By the way, I repeat, Chandra Levy has been missing for 10 weeks -- Colleen.

MCEDWARDS: CNN's Bob Franken, thanks very much.

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