ABC’s Chung Lands Condit’s First Interview About Levy

Rep. Gary A. Condit will give his first interview regarding missing government intern Chandra Levy to ABC News’ Connie Chung, who beat out rival correspondents for the exclusive, which will air Thursday.

Condit (D-Ceres) has not spoken publicly about the former intern since she disappeared in early May. Washington police, who have interviewed Condit several times, have said repeatedly that Condit is not a suspect in Levy’s disappearance, though they have said he has admitted having a romantic relationship with her.

ABC said the interview, which will air at 10 p.m. on “Primetime Thursday,” will be taped in advance but not edited. That was the one condition--used by some interview subjects to guarantee that their comments won’t be taken out of context--that Condit’s aides set, ABC said. “It was a request they made and we said yes,” said an ABC News spokesman.

The interview, to be conducted Thursday in Condit’s district in Modesto, will last about half an hour, ABC said. However, the network will devote the entire 10 p.m. hour to the topic.

Condit’s public relations office declined to discuss why Chung was chosen over rivals at CBS, NBC and CNN and other ABC News correspondents who had been vying intensely for the interview. Chung landed the interview with the help of her producer, Santina Leuci.

ABC News’ Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer had also been seeking the interview, but an ABC News spokesman said Chung’s colleagues were happy that their network prevailed. Last week, Chung had a sought-after interview with the mother of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s out-of-wedlock child.

Condit has been the subject of intense media focus since Levy’s disappearance May 1. Media crews have continued to dog him even as he has refused to discuss the issue.

But last week, word began to circulate that an interview might be in the offing, triggering speculation within the TV news business about who would get the interview, when and why. Would Condit think it advantageous to be interviewed by a woman? Would NBC News not get the interview because it had heavily covered the story?

Some speculated that the interview would go to CBS News’ Dan Rather after the “CBS Evening News” largely ignored the story even as other media outlets, and other CBS News programs, were covering it extensively. And CBS News had been hopeful late last week that the interview was going to one of its “60 Minutes” correspondents.

The congressman, who aides have said intends to seek reelection next year, also plans to send a letter to constituents this week.

In a statement released Monday, spokeswoman Marina Ein said he will also speak with other media, saying: “The congressman has fully responded to all questions put to him by law enforcement authorities trying to find Ms. Levy. He can now address in a public forum the issues that have been raised over the past three months.”