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American Morning

Author Discusses Cases of Chandra Levy, Gary Condit

Aired July 06, 2001 - 10:22   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: While there have been no signs of Chandra Levy since she disappeared nine weeks ago, her hometown Congressman, Gary Condit, has become increasingly prominent in the buzz circulating around the case. The latest developments now are coming from Mr. Condit's wife and the aunt of Chandra Levy.

For the latest on this developing story, let's turn to CNN national correspondent Bob Franken, who has been following it from the beginning.

Bob, good morning, again.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

First, we should point out that in the case of the disappearance of Chandra Levy, the former Washington intern who disappeared a little over nine weeks ago, police still say they don't have any particular idea of her whereabouts.

They've interviewed over 100 people. They say among them now is Carolyn Condit. Carolyn Condit is the wife of Congressman Gary Condit. She was interviewed in Washington suburb yesterday by FBI agent and Washington metropolitan police detectives, to see if she could contribute any knowledge to the whereabouts of Chandra Levy.

As we know, Congressman Gary Condit, her husband, has been repeatedly depicted as a man having a romantic relationship with 24- year-old Chandra Levy. Up until now, Condit's office has denied that there was a romantic relationship.

But now there is another person who has entered the case, who is making the charge that there was an indication of a romantic relationship. Its is Linda Zamsky, who is an aunt of Chandra Levy. She lives in Maryland about a two-hour drive from Washington, and frequently Chandra would go and visit her aunt. According to Linda Zamsky, Chandra told her she was having the romantic relationship with Congressman Condit, that, in fact, the relationship involved weekend stays at Condit's Washington apartment; some gifts, like chocolate and a bracelet; and oftentimes, meals that they would cook together -- that type of thing.

We have spoken to Linda Zamsky. She confirms a report that appeared in "The Washington Post" today, which quoted as saying, of Chandra Levy, when it first came out, "I asked, 'How do you get in touch with him if it's so secretive, 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 mad real light of it. I kind of dummied up because I wanted her to feel comfortable."

At the end of Chandra Levy's time in Washington, when about to head back home, after her internship at the Bureau of Prisons abruptly ended, according to Linda Zamsky, she got a telephone message from Chandra Levy that said, "Hi, Linda. This is Chandra. My internship is over." Levy said in the message. I'm planning on packing my bags in the next week or 10 days. Heading home for awhile. Don't know what I'm going to do this summer. And I really have some big news or something important to tell. Call me..."

Of course, investigators are curious what that big news is.

The news of this investigation, of course, has spread far from the actual disappearance of Chandra Levy. Congressman Condit's life is now something that has become a considerable source of speculation. There have been other allegations there were personal romantic relations with other women, including a flight attendant, who described her version on their relationship earlier this week.

All of this has been very frustrating to the Washington police chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES RAMSEY, D.C. METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT: 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'm not trying to find a flight attendant. I'm trying to find Chandra Levy. Those are two different people. We're not the sex police here. We're trying to investigate a missing person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Almost lost in all this is that Washington police say they have very few clues as to the whereabouts of Chandra Levy.

FRAZIER: Stories from the aunt are fascinating, though, Bob, are fascinating in their details. She detailed some of the secret weekends that Ms. Levy talked about in her conversations and the secretive way in which they'd go out to the suburbs to have meals at restaurants, the congressman wearing a baseball cap and jeans, going out in disguise.

FRANKEN: What's very interesting about this is that the appearances of Linda Zamsky are part of a coordinated media campaign that is being run by the lawyers and public relations people who had been hired by the Levy family. We have been told by sources connected by that team that they want to get the message out. In fact, they believe -- and they believe they have evidence -- that there was a romantic relationship. So this is an assertive effort on their part to specifically get that message out, in the hope that will somehow contribute to finding their daughter.

FRAZIER: To counter that, the congressman too has engaged a media adviser, as well as a lawyer, who gave statement yesterday, asking that the congressman's privacy be respected.

FRANKEN: Abbe Lowell is a well-known Washington lawyer. He joined the case a couple of weeks ago. He has been very aggressive in his conversation with reporters, up until now saying, So what? Whatever the relationship was, what does that have to do with disappearance of Chandra Levy. He went public with that yesterday, accusing the media of exploiting this, of focussing on the wrong thing. He says the focus should be on the search for Chandra Levy.

FRAZIER: Bob Franken is keeping us up to date on all this. Bob, thank you so much for these latest developments. We will talk to you later in the day.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: For a closer look at the PR battle that is going on between various sides involved in this investigation, we have with us Robin Cohn. She is a PR expert, and she has written a book; it's called "The PR Crisis Bible: How to Take Charge of the Media When All Hell Breaks Loose."

Robin, good morning. Thanks for joining us.

ROBIN COHN, AUTHOR, "THE PR CRISIS BIBLE": Good morning.

KAGAN: Would you say a good move by Congressman Condit, by finally hiring a PR adviser?

COHN: It's a bit late. I am sure when has was running for office that he didn't run from cameras or the press. So he does know better. It's one of these things when you're saying look at me, look at me -- you have to be able to face the consequences. If he had come forward sooner, we wouldn't be talking about this story now.

But again, it's better late than never...

KAGAN: Do you wonder why so long, why it would take somebody who's so familiar with public life to realize they do need some PR advice in this situation?

COHN: Well, we had such a lesson with President Clinton and the scandal with Monica Lewinsky that that should have been a textbook case of what not to do for the future.

KAGAN: We're going to hire you here -- so to speak -- and were going to have you work for Congressman Condit here. What advice would you give to him, a man who suddenly finds himself swept up in this missing person investigation -- regardless of the amount of his involvement with this young woman? COHN: I think he has to come forward, explain what is going on and what has taken him so long to go public, and he could simply say I was trying to protect my family and my loved ones. I've done something wrong. Please allow me my privacy so I can try to put the pieces together. This way, if he's talking about his own family, he is asking for privacy, not his lawyer. I think the sympathy could turn a bit more towards him, and his public would say, then, leave him alone.

KAGAN: What's his biggest challenge here?

COHN: His biggest challenge is credibility. I think it's one of these things that's how do you go forward after this? If you look at, again, President Clinton, people tend to put the two together, so going forward, he's going to have a black mark against him.

KAGAN: Looking at the other side of story, the Levy family -- we just heard our Bob Franken talk about their legal and PR advisers they have on their side of the story. They really have been putting the heat on Congressman Condit. Could they be making a mistake here, perhaps putting the spotlight on the wrong man or misdirecting an investigation that could lead to find out what happened to their daughter?

COHN: There are a lot of questions that we're not looking at. One is why is the investigation taking so long? And I think these parents are the victims, and they deserve all the attention that they can get, and help they can get, in finding their daughter. They are not getting the attention Representative Condit is.

KAGAN: If you were advising this family, would you point out that in all these stories and more revelations that come out about Congressman Condit, he becomes the story and people forget the focus on Chandra Levy?

COHN: Exactly. And I think they're aware of that, and I think that's why they came forward with the latest information from the aunt.

KAGAN: Robin Cohn, PR expert, thanks for joining us with your input today -- appreciate it.

COHN: Thank you.

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