Missing Intern Stayed at Condit House, Police Say

U.S. Rep. Gary Condit told Washington police that Chandra Levy has spent the night at his Adams Morgan apartment, according to law enforcement sources, who also said the missing intern told a close relative that she was romantically involved with the congressman.

The California Democrat has said he is simply a good friend of Levy, and his office has denied a romance between the two. Mike Lynch, chief of staff in Condit’s Modesto office, said Condit told him Wednesday that he had not made statements to police about Levy spending the night.

“We have nothing to hide” about Condit’s relationship with Levy, said Mike Dayton, a spokesman at the congressman’s office on Capitol Hill.

But the Levy relative said, “Chandra has told me things that seem to contradict what the spokesmen for Congressman Condit have been saying.”

The relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she spent last Thanksgiving and Passover in April with Levy, 24, and that the intern told her about her romantic life in Washington. The relative declined to provide more detail.

The law enforcement sources said that although Condit told police that Levy had spent the night at his apartment, he did not say whether the two were romantically involved. He also did not specify when she had been at his apartment.

Executive Assistant Police Chief Terrance Gainer said Tuesday that investigators are looking at Levy’s disappearance as a missing persons case, not a crime.

He declined to comment about Condit, beyond saying: “He is not a suspect. We don’t have a crime. Without a crime, you don’t have a suspect.”

Investigators have interviewed dozens of people in the case, including members of Levy’s health club near Dupont Circle and Condit’s neighbors in the 2600 block of Adams Mill Road NW, who were asked whether they had ever seen Levy in the building.

Gainer said Wednesday that investigators also have looked through Levy’s e-mails and phone records, but have found “nothing critical or helpful.” He declined to say whether any of the computer correspondence was to or from Condit.

Levy was last seen the evening of April 30, when she canceled her membership at the Washington Sports Club on Connecticut Avenue NW. One member who was there that evening said police asked him Tuesday whether he knew of any club members who were known to harass women. He said he did not.

Condit’s association with Levy has raised the profile of the disappearance far beyond most missing persons cases, with the news appearing in media worldwide.

Condit, who represents Levy’s home town of Modesto, first called police about her disappearance May 7, a day after her parents called his office seeking help. The congressman subsequently offered $10,000 from his campaign treasury to a reward fund, which now stands at $40,000.

Condit commutes regularly to Ceres, Calif., to be with his wife, Carolyn. He has served in Congress since 1989.

Dayton has said that Levy first went to Condit’s office in early October with her friend Jennifer Baker, who was working as an intern for the congressman. Levy returned to the office six times in subsequent months, Dayton has said, usually to ask for things like White House tour tickets or for schedules of Capitol Hill events. Early in the investigation, Condit issued a statement saying, “Chandra is a great person and good friend.”

Levy, who was completing her graduate degree in public administration, disappeared about a week after completing an internship at the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She was to return to Modesto on May 9 before attending her graduate school commencement ceremony at USC.

Police who searched her apartment in the 1200 block of 21st Street NW on May 10 said the door was locked. They found no signs of a struggle, and discovered Levy’s driver’s license and credit cards and her packed luggage, police said. Her apartment keys were missing, police have said.