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American Morning
The Search for Chandra: Levys Discuss Gary Condit
Aired August 16, 2001 - 10:08 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: We're going to take up the case of Chandra Levy and her parents struggle for some answers. Increasingly, their desperate quest to find their daughter is turning to anger now aimed directly at Congressman Gary Condit of California. Last night, Bob and Susan Levy issued what might be their most pointed accusation yet.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is following that story and the response from the Condit camp, too. She's joining us now from Condit's home district in Modesto, California, which is also, of course, where the Levys live -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Stephen, nearly every day Doctor and Mrs. Levy come out to the front of their home and talk to the press. But they have rarely answered many questions or said much about what they believe to be their daughter's involvement with Congressman Condit. But for the first time we are hearing what they, a more definitive time line of what they think the involvement was and what their involvement was with Congressman Condit early on in the investigation.
They also talked with Larry King about what they feel was the real impact the relationship had on their daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST: The other night you said if Gary Condit were not in your daughter's life, she'd be here today.
SUSAN LEVY, MOTHER OF CHANDRA LEVY: I said that and...
KING: What do you mean?
SUSAN LEVY: I feel like that for some reason internally that, as a mother, that it's possible that my daughter would have graduated and she would be here with us spending the summer. I just feel...
KING: Therefore, you have to have a scenario that thinks he's responsible, or in some way responsible? What's your scenario?
SUSAN LEVY: Some way as a --
KING: What's your guess? SUSAN LEVY: The only thing that I can say is that he mentioned he's a good friend of my daughter and he never mentioned to me personally that there was any kind of relationship going on. But I called a specific number and asked him a specific question, and it was not told to me in a truthful manner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Abbe Lowell, Congressman Condit's attorney, in response he says he believes it is necessary for the Levys to keep bringing up Congressman Condit's name in order to keep their daughter's case in the headlines. But he says that all the headlines in the world are not going to sway this career politician from leaving office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABBE LOWELL, CONDIT'S ATTORNEY: Congressman Condit has been a congressman for 12 years and has served his district, as they will tell you, extraordinarily well. He has been a public servant for an additional almost 20 years. I think people in his district are smarter and wiser and more considerate and they're going to judge him over the course of his entire career, not the last three months when he was fodder for the lack of news in the national media. And when they hear from him and they have the ability to ponder what he has done for them he will be in a position to be judged properly. But not by talking heads who have to fill the airwaves with immediate "should he resignation," "should he not resignation," "will he run." His voters have a longer vision than that and he trusts them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DORNIN: Well, this community still seems to be split on the idea of whether Congressman Condit should stay or go, but the one thing that most people want is for him to just say something -- Stephen.
FRAZIER: Rusty Dornin reporting from Modesto, California. Rusty, thank you.
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