Reuters Calif. Grand Jury Declines to Investigate Condit MODESTO, Calif. (Reuters) -- A California grand jury has rejected a
request to investigate charges that Rep. Gary Condit obstructed justice by allegedly asking flight attendant Anne
Marie Smith to lie about an affair, lawyers said on Monday.
The decision by the Stanislaus County civil grand jury, reached last
week, was mailed to Smith's lawyer James Robinson and Judicial Watch, a
conservative watchdog group which joined in filing the complaint on Aug.
27.
Robinson and Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman issued a statement
Monday blasting the jury's decision, which was based on the ground that it
did not have jurisdiction over the subject of the complaint.
``The grand jury is mistaken as both a matter of law and of fact,'' the
statement said. ``Nevertheless, we are heartened that the grand jury did
not reject the basis of our complaint.''
Details of an alleged affair between Smith and Condit emerged during
the investigation into the disappearance of Washington D.C. intern Chandra
Levy four months ago. Condit is a Democratic congressman, representing
Modesto in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Smith has said publicly she had a 10-month affair with Condit and that
he asked her through his lawyers to sign an affidavit denying the affair
ever took place.
Condit, in an interview with ABC's Connie Chung last month, denied he
had a romantic relationship with Smith and said it was a lie to say he
tried to keep her from cooperating with authorities.
The complaint was filed under California legal rules that allow
citizens to ask a sitting grand jury to investigate an alleged wrongdoing.
The complaint had also sought indictments of Mike Lynch, Condit's chief
of staff, and Don Thornton, an investigator, for obstruction of justice
and conspiracy to suborn perjury in connection with the alleged attempts
to secure Smith's silence.
Smith's attorney, James Robinson, has said that the flight attendant
may yet mount a civil case against the congressman, who he has accused of
libeling and slandering his client, and Judicial Watch's Klayman said the
legal team planned to file new requests in San Francisco and San Mateo
counties.
``Perhaps it will be less of a political hot potato there,'' he told
Reuters. ``We are bowed but undaunted. And if we have to go to every
California county we will ... I'm sure we'll find one which will be
interested in this case.''
The Smith charges came as Condit battles mounting criticism in the Levy
case. Police have said repeatedly that Condit is not a suspect in Levy's
disappearance. Condit himself has also denied any knowledge of the details
behind the disappearance on May 1 of the 24-year-old intern, with whom he
said he had a ''close'' relationship.
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September 10 , 2001
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