Team Condit is now trumpeting the news that Condit has passed a lie detector test.

Not, however, a test given by the police, but one which they administered themselves.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Answers

It's quite significant that the DC police have--finally--made a statement criticizing Condit and it was about the lie detector test. Considering Condit's previous outrageous behavior, the test is small potatoes so I can only assume, reasonably, I think, that the word is out to leave Condit to fend for himself now. This tells me that those in the know have certain information--whether about Chandra Levy or not--that means Condit can't be saved.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001

Police dismiss Condit's lie-detector test as 'self-serving'

ASSOCIATED PRESS

July 14, 2001

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Gary Condit took a lie-detector test arranged by his lawyer, and it showed he "was not deceptive in any way" in denying knowledge of what happened to missing intern Chandra Levy, the lawyer said yesterday. Police dismissed the test as "self-serving."

With Condit's relationship with Levy and other women under intense media scrutiny, lawyer Abbe Lowell said his client had cooperated fully, and police and the press should turn their attention elsewhere.

"Congressman Condit has exhausted all the information he can provide, and the spotlight on him should be turned elsewhere," said Lowell, who noted the congressman has given three interviews to police, allowed a search of his apartment and submitted a DNA sample.

He berated the media for what he said was an obsession with his client's private life, which he said was diverting attention from the search for Levy. She was last seen April 30, when she canceled her membership at a Washington health club.

According to a police source, Condit, who is 53 and married, told investigators in his third interview last week that he was having an affair with Levy, a 24-year-old intern. Police have repeatedly said Condit is not a suspect in Levy's disappearance.

Investigators are awaiting lab results on Condit's DNA sample and items they took from his apartment during a search this week, said Assistant Police Chief Terrance Gainer.

Lowell would not reveal all the questions that were asked during the test, but said Condit was deemed to have answered truthfully when he said "no" to the three most important questions:

Did the congressman have anything to do with Levy's disappearance?

Did he harm her or cause anyone else to harm her in any way?

Does he know where she can be located?

But Gainer left no doubt that police were not satisfied with the test. "We wanted to ask the questions," Gainer told reporters. He said Lowell had not worked with police to come up with questions and agree on an expert to administer the test.

"This is a bit self-serving," Gainer said. "I don't think it would surprise anyone that a defense attorney as sharp as Abbe Lowell would give his client a lie-detector test before offering one to the police."

McClatchy News Service contributed to this report.

-- Anonymous, July 14, 2001