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American Morning
Police to Search Congressman Condit's Washington Residence
Aired July 10, 2001 - 09:11 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.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: But first now, let's go to Bob Franken who's in Washington and the latest on the Chandra Levy case -- Bob.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are a lot of developments overnight. Among them, the lawyer for Gary Condit -- Congressman Gary Condit, announced at a news conference that he and his client were willing to cooperate with the police in just about every way. And so the police have said, OK.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN (voice-over): Law enforcement sources tell CNN they will accept an offer from Congressman Gary Condit and his attorney to let police search his Washington apartment.
ABBE LOWELL, CONDIT'S ATTORNEY: The congressman will provide whatever additional information or material he can to the police. This includes access to his apartment, telephone or cell phone records, a request that his entire staff make themselves available and whatever else I can arrange with the police.
FRANKEN: In a flurry of activity that followed what police sources say is Condit's admission that he did have a romantic relationship with Chandra Levy, Chandra's family has demanded that the California congressman submit to a lie detector test.
SUSAN LEVY, CHANDRA LEVY'S MOTHER: Mr. Condit has not been very truthful to me until now and I think that there is things that are unknown and the truth has to come out.
LOWELL: I know there's a great public appeal to lie detectors, but I know from our practice that they leave a lot to be desired. If the police call me and tell me that at some point they think that, no matter how suspect it might be can be helpful, I will discuss it with them. But I will discuss it with them and not with you.
FRANKEN: Meanwhile the Levy's lawyer, Billy Martin, was asked on "LARRY KING LIVE" about the possibility that the family might want to meet again with Condit and talk openly and honestly about his relationship with Chandra.
BILLY MARTIN, LEVY FAMILY LAWYER: And it would be meaningful for them, that if this man spent any meaningful time with their daughter, to at least have the dignity and the respect of their daughter to tell the family something about her during the last days that she was seen.
FRANKEN: And another figure in the spiraling story is about to resurface. Anne Marie Smith and her lawyer James Robinson are coming to Washington where they will meet Wednesday with the U.S. attorney's office over claims by Smith that she, too, had a romantic relationship with Condit and that Condit asked her to sign an affidavit lying about it under oath.
Spokesman for the congressman argued repeatedly that all of this is a sideshow, which distracts from the effort to find the missing 24- year old former Washington intern, Chandra Levy.
(on camera): Condit's attorney, Lowell, has sent a letter to the major television news networks requesting that they discontinue what he called the 'round the clock stakeouts at the congressman's home in Washington and California. Lowell called the stakeouts -- quote -- "a safety threat for the congressman, his wife, children, and neighbors."
Bob Franken, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: And in that light, the congressman's attorney, Abbe Lowell, has sent a letter to the executives of the major television news networks in the United States asking that they withdrawal the cameras that he says spend their time around the clock outside the congressman's residences in California and in Washington.
Well, with the search that is now expected by the police at the Condit residence here in Washington, the cameras are, in fact, there this morning. You can see a picture -- a live picture from there. We do not know when the police are conducting their search, but thus far, the letter has not been heeded -- Brian.
NELSON: All right, thank you. CNN's Bob Franken in Washington. The case will not go away.
And we will have more of the Billy Martin interview with Larry King throughout CNN LIVE THIS MORNING.
And you can share your thoughts and opinions about the Chandra Levy case on our Web site. Log on to CNN.com, the AOL keyword: CNN, and look for the message board on the Levy case.
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