Posted on 09/10/2001 7:20:20 PM PDT by kattracks
MODESTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A California grand jury has rejected a request to investigate charges that Rep. Gary Condit (news - bio - voting record) 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.
So Klayman saying he'd go to every California county sounds real amatuerish, to me. These big time lawyers seem to be spraying to all fields. If you want to drive a nail, you hit it on the head.
At this point, I'm pretty well convinced that Klayman is not much of a lawyer. Almost without exception, everything he involves himself with, goes nowhere.
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