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The Condit Investigation
With Lanny Davis
Attorney and Former Special Counsel
to President Bill Clinton
Thursday, July 12, 2001; 2 p.m. EDT
Investigators completed a three-hour search of Rep. Gary A. Condit's (D-Calif.) apartment Wednesday morning looking for evidence that may lead to clues regarding the disappearance of intern Chandra Levy. Condit has been under intense scrutiny and criticism in a case that is still considered a missing-persons case and not a crime.
Lanny Davis, attorney and former special counsel to President Bill Clinton, will be online Thursday, July 12, at 2 p.m. EDT, to discuss the investigation and latest developments.
Davis is critical of Condit and urges that the Democrats speak out. "It is time for the Democrats to take the lead in holding Mr. Condit accountable for his conduct which has impeded the investigation to find Ms. Levy," said Davis.
Davis specializes in providing counseling to corporations and government contractors on crisis management issues by developing press strategies for companies exposed to high profile litigation, particularly in high-tech/securities fraud cases.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Milford, Mich.:
What recourse does the Democratic Party have against Condit with regard to his withholding vital information for 11 weeks?
Lanny Davis: Conceivably he has violated ethical rules of the House of Representatives and Democrats can seek an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. If he's violated any rules, which would be the case if he is withholding material information from the police, he could be expelled from the House.
Alexandria, Va.:
Why haven't Democratic leaders spoken out against Condit, particularly since he has now admitted to lying to the police in the course of their investigation of this missing woman?
Also, why haven't the D.C. police put more pressure on him? They seem to be treating him with kid gloves. Even though he's lied to them for WEEKS!
Lanny Davis: On your first point, I agree. See my New York Times op-ed piece today. On your second point, I couldn't agree with you more.
Randolph, N.J.:
Seeing as how there is no direct connection to Condit and any foul play (other than the fact that he had an affair with her), do you think it is necessary for him to be such a central part of the investigation? Do you think the Levys and the media are pulling him into this more so the case gets more attention?
Lanny Davis: As I wrote today in the New York Times, you are incorrect that his private relationship can have no bearing on the investigation to find Ms. Levy. The details of where she was with him in the days and weeks before her disappearance clearly could provide clues as to why she disappeared and what might have happened to her. It is not up to Rep. Condit to impede a full investigation because he is embarrassed about having an affair with a young woman.
Laurel, Md.:
Mr. Davis,
It seems the D.C. Police Dept is investigating vigorously, but it doesn't seem as if there is any real focus. Are they just casting a wide net and see what they pull in? Or, are they using a smoke screen and really focussing on Gary Condit, even though he is not a "suspect?"
Lanny Davis: It's hard to understand what the D.C. police are doing. Why did it take them so long to insist on Mr. Condit reavealing the sexual relationship much less doing a search of his apartment. I'm mystified.
Cleveland, Ohio:
At what point will Condit have to speak himself?
Lanny Davis: It is incomprehensible that he believes he gains anything leagally or personally by hiding and not speaking publicly. When do we learn the lesson that sooner or later in a public scandal the truth is going to come out? Mr. Condit must have a lot to hide, but it's all going to come out in the end.
Niceville, Fla.:
How do you have the gall to demand that Congressman Condit explain his actions to obstruct and deny when that's precisely what we received from YOUR man -- Bill Clinton?
Lanny Davis: I encouraged President Clinton to tell the truth and wish he had done it earlier. However, there is simply no comparison between being untruthful in a civil deposition in a case that was so frivolous that it was thrown out of court on summary judgement vs. Mr. Condit's actions which are impeding the search for a missing young woman. Only compulsive Clinton haters see no difference between those two situations.
Gaithersburg, Md.:
I assume from your previous answers here that you are advocating for Rep. Condit what I think is your mantra from your Clinton Administration days: "Tell it all, tell it often?"
Lanny Davis: Thank you. You are correct. I hope you'll read my book, "Truth To Tell: Tell It Early, Tell It All, Tell It Yourself." (1999, The Free Press) It describes my White House experience in dealing with the media on scandal stories.
Miami, Fla.:
Dear Mr. Davis:
At this point do you think Mr. Condit should resign for the good of the people and the party?
Thank you.
Lanny Davis: No, unless he continues to dissemble and withhold the truth, in which case I believe the House Democrats should begin an ethics investigation.
washingtonpost.com:
Coming up directly after Lanny Davis, join Live Online and forensic scientist Lawrence Kobilinsky, Ph.D. to discuss the technical side of gathering evidence in the Chandra Levy investigation.
Sacramento, Calif.:
In the editorial you wrote today you say
"full disclosure is the best way to end the
media circus." Can you elaborate on this?
It seems to me that if Condit had
disclosed 11 weeks ago that he was in
the middle of a steamy affair with a young
intern that the media circus would have
only begun earlier.
Lanny Davis: That's no correct. Experience proves otherwise. If you answer every question and there's nothing significant to report, then the major news organizations move on. The tabloids undoubtedly continue, but without the majors including the television networks following up, the story tends to die.
Washington, D.C.:
Is Condit finished politically regardless of the outcome of this situation? Please explain your answer.
Lanny Davis: I don't know whether he's finished or not, that's up to the people of his district. But every day that goes by where he is not disclosing details concerning his relationship that might assist the police, I believe his conscience if not his constituents will cause him great pain.
Minneapolis, Minn.:
Is there any violation of House ethics rules for marriage infidelity? If not, it seems some wise pol would bring this issue up for a vote. Do you agree?
Lanny Davis: If it were a violation of House ethics rules because of marital infidelity, we'd have virtually no one serving in the House. The violation regarding Mr. Condit's conduct would be his impeding an investigation to find a missing person beause he withheld material information regarding the investigation.
Arlington, Va.:
Is it true that Condit has connections with Hell's Angels?
Lanny Davis: I have no idea and let's not get carried away by tabloid silliness.
San Francisco, Calif.:
Could Condit be charged with obstruction of justice by misleading police with his denial
about the affair with Levy?
Lanny Davis: I don't want to comment on possible liability in a specific instance, but I would say generally that misleading police during a criminal investigation or making a false statement could constitute the crime of obstruction of justice. According to the D.C. Police, Mr. Condit is not the subject of a criminal investigation.
Alexandria, Va.:
Condit's lawyer says he will "consider" the polygraph, and will discuss it with the police. Shall I assume that a polygraph is always voluntary? In other words, the FBI can't wire-up a kicking and screaming Condit, can they?
Lanny Davis: That's correct. It's always voluntary.
Harwich, Maine:
Occasionally the media has mentioned that there are other "targets" of the police investigation. I wonder why the only name that has been mentioned is the congressman. It seems the investigation would benefit from the naming of other people whom the police are questioning.
Lanny Davis: You are incorrect. Mr. Condit has been named as the target of a criminal investigation. Nor has anyone else been named, apparently because there are no suspects.
Dupont Circle - The Newport:
I live across the hall from the apartment Ms. Levy lived in. We have heard repeatedly in the media that the police are going to conduct "background checks" on variously all the occupants of the Newport, or all the men who live here. My question is two fold: how can this be legal, and what do the police hope to accomplis? The evidence points away from anything having happened to Ms. Levy in or near her apartment.
Lanny Davis: First it's legal for them to ask and it's legal to decline to answer. Second, it's appropriate and indeed routine that in a missing person case everyone who might have seen or had contact with Ms. Levy in the weeks before her disappearance, including Rep. Condit, should be interviewed and should speak truthfully, unless they have something to hide.
Austin, Tex.:
Mr Davis,
There are those who contend that a married politician's affair with another woman is none of our business.
I disagree. I contend that such behavior is wrong, and I don't want to vote for any politician who would engage in that behavior.
To that end, the news media which report this kind of ("it's all about sex") behavior are my heros, and the media who do not (CBS, for example, or those who justify their reportage by pointing to other details of the situation), are my zeros.
I want to know about this kind of behavior by politicians so I CAN vote against them.
What do you think?
Lanny Davis: You're entitled to cast your vote for whatever reasons yo wish to. It does strike me, however, as strange that you are more focused on the sex than on the missing young woman.
Minneapolis, Minn.:
Do you believe that a positive experience for Condit during the "lie detector" test will move the spotlight away from him?
Lanny Davis: No. Until he tells the full truth about his relationship and details about his time with Ms. Levy prior to her disappearnce, in my opinion, he will be impeding the investigation and the story will not go away.
Washington, D.C.:
I'm struggling to understand one thing: If Rep. Condit is worried about a flight attendant revealing that they've had an affair, what good would a signed affidavit do him? Would he say, "I don't know the woman from Adam, and here is a signed affidavit she gave me that proves it!" How could he be so dumb?
Lanny Davis: You've got me.
washingtonpost.com:
For more on the Condit/Levy story:
Join forensic scientist John Kobilinsky, Ph.D at
3:30 p.m. EDT.
Budd Lake, N.J.:
What role do his previous affairs play in the minds of the public and police as far as his involvement with the diappearance of Levy. I would think that within a few weeks we are going to find out that he was involved with her disappearance.
Lanny Davis: That's pure speculation.
Walnut Creek, Calif.:
Do you believe that the privacy of public officials should be guarded by the media. And that the media is making a circus by slanting the stories toward his sex life?
Lanny Davis: I hope you will read my op-ed piece in today's New York Times. This is not about protecting the right of privacy. This is about trying to find a missing young woman. There can be no doubt, as I wrote in the Times, that public disclosure of the details of Mr. Condit's comings and goings with Ms. Levy in the week's before her disappearance might, just might, prove helpful in finding out what happened to her. Mr. Condit has lost his right to privacy on those details in this situation.
Gaithersburg, Md.:
If Ms. Smith had signed the affadavit, couldn't she then be dismissed as not credible because she lied, and therefore not be as much of a threat to Condit?
Lanny Davis: Conceivably, although if she soon after repudiated the affadavit she could still be credible, as we know from recent past experiences.
Vienna, Va.:
Why would the police want to collect DNA samples from Mr. Condit? Isn't that only done when there is some sort of sample from a crime scene or a body, in order to place a suspect at the scene of a crime?
Lanny Davis: That's a very interesting question. I don't know the answer. I can surmise that there may come a time that it might be relevant.
Fairfax Va:
Can you comment on the statement by chandra that she had something "good" happening right before she became missing?
Lanny Davis: I'm not going to speculate and nor should anybody else. Let's just hope that the police will do their job and get Ms. Levy's parent's daughter back.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello Professor Davis. I was just wondering how you feel about the fact that Abbe Lowell continues to insist that Condit stuck to your mantra of "tell it all, tell it early, and tell it yourself" when in fact the admission was forced out of him after nine weeks of denials and had already been told by Levy's aunt?
Lanny Davis: First of all, Abbe Lowell is a great attorney with the highest integrity trying to play the cards that he has been dealt. I sympathize with him. But the fact is, Mr. Condit even today hasn't come even close to telling it all, much less telling it early.
Sprinfield, Va.:
Me again... read your op-ed piece and can agree with it to a point... I think now he has no choice. Privacy is gone, but one big assumption being made in your piece is that this information will prove helpful. I guess my question is what if it is not, and the proper ones to make that judgement are the police -- not the press -- but I will still think you are one of the great minds in this country. Thanks for your service during and really tough time for the country.
Lanny Davis: Thank you for your kind words. I carefully avoided in my piece using the words "will" prove helpful. The word that I used was "might" prove helpful. Clearly a minute by minute, hour by hour public reconstruction of Ms. Levy's movements, including those with Mr. Condit, could trigger a memory or an association by someone else that could prove helpful in the investigation. In any event, it is also clear, as I pointed out in the Times piece, that Mr. Condit delayed revealing about his relationship to the police and that undoubtedly hindered the progress of the investigation. Thank you again for appreciating my activities.
Boston, Mass.:
Hi:
If Congressman Condit is even remotely aware of a person or persons who Chandra might have been acquainted with, and that she may have gone to visit before returning to California, wouldn't it behoove him to provide this information, especially if it takes some of the heat off him? Seems to me, this is all the Levy's want ... I doubt they are deliberately looking to smear the guy, but his lack of cooperation and silence is hurting himself ...
Lanny Davis: I completely agree with you.
Orlando , Fla.:
What is the reputation of the Washington police? Given the circumstances of her disappearence shouldn't the investigation have started two montns ago.
Lanny Davis: As far as I know it did start two months ago. There are legitimate questions that the D.C. police aren't answering as to why they are giving such deferential treatment to Mr. Condit, which appears at best to have delayed the course of their investigation.
washingtonpost.com:
Stay tuned for more on the Condit/Levy story:
Join forensic scientist John Kobilinsky, Ph.D at
3:30 p.m. EDT.
Washington, D.C.:
Your defense of Bill Clinton, whose own indiscretions crossed the line into obvious criminality, was much more vigorous than it is now of Condit. Why are you, the official Democratic Party Apologist, not defending Condit with the same zeal?
Lanny Davis: As I said earlier, only a compulsive Clinton hater would see no distinction between being untruthful in a civil deposition in a case that was thrown out of court because it was so frivolous vs. failing to disclose information material to the search for a missing person. My advice to you regarding your hatred of Clinton, is: Get a life!
Washington, D.C.:
Don't you think Lowell compromises his "high" integrity a bit by feeding that to the public and expecting to be taken seriously? What would you be saying on the Sunday shows if you were brought in at this late date as Lowell was?
Lanny Davis: Again, I've known Abbe Lowell for 25 years. He's a great lawyer and a man of high integrity, but I would have advised Mr. Condit, had I been his lawyer, is the subtitle of my book, in conncection with the truth: "Tell It Early, Tell It All, Tell It Yourself."
Alexandria, Va.:
Does the tax-paying public pay the bill for Abbe Lowell's services?
Lanny Davis: No.
washingtonpost.com:
For more on the Condit/Levy story:
Join forensic scientist John Kobilinsky, Ph.D at
3:30 p.m. EDT.
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