Posted on 09/07/2001 8:15:47 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
A county official said Friday that a grand jury has reached a decision on whether it will investigate claims that Rep. Gary Condit obstructed justice by asking a flight attendant to deny they had an affair.
The results of the secret vote of Stanislaus County's 19-member civil grand jury Thursday night won't be made public, said Marnie Ardis, the county employee who oversees the panel.
She said the decision was being relayed in a letter sent Friday to the attorney of flight attendant Anne Marie Smith.
The unusual hearing came after Smith's attorney, James Robinson, said last week he was going directly to the civil grand jury with allegations that Condit, his chief of staff, Mike Lynch; and Don Thornton, an investigator for a California lawyer who has represented Condit, obstructed justice by encouraging Smith to commit perjury.
Smith, 40, claims the Democratic congressman and his intermediaries tried to get her to sign a false affidavit denying they had an affair. She said they had a 10-month romance.
Condit has denied asking anybody to lie. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Smith and the congressman apparently have different definitions of the word "relationship."
The grand jury could decide to investigate or reject Smith's complaint. But Ardis said the panel - convened to oversee local government - cannot indict anyone on criminal charges. The county's district attorney, Jim Brazelton, has said he's unlikely to bring charges.
Robinson said he went to the civil grand jury to bypass Brazelton.
"The whole purpose of this is to go around the D.A. because we don't trust the D.A.," Robinson said Thursday.
Smith's relationship with Condit became public after the congressman was linked to Chandra Levy, a 24-year-old government intern from Modesto who vanished in Washington on May 1.
Condit, 53, is not considered a suspect in her disappearance, but police sources say he acknowledged having an extramarital affair with Levy.
Condit returned to Congress this week to a mixed reception from his colleagues. Several members greeted him warmly on the House floor when they gathered for a vote Wednesday evening, but most avoided him.
House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., said he would talk to Democrats about whether to take any action against Condit.
Condit has three options regarding his future: He can quit now, seek re-election or retire at the end of his term. Gephardt said it is up to Condit to decide whether to seek re-election.
Condit's spokesman, Michael Dayton, said Friday that the congressman has yet to resolve his plans. "He hasn't made any decisions," Dayton said.For Education And Discussion Only. Not For Commercial Use.
This is somewhat of a foolish statement. The result is either, yes or no. If a legal action ensues following this the answer would be "yes" and if it does not, then obviously the answer was "no", so how does this woman think the results won't be made public?
I agree with you ClaireSolt....I think they aren't going to pursue this.
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