Condit Takes Stand in Levy Case

Former Congressman Gary Condit took the stand Monday in the trial of a man charged with killing his former intern, Chandra Levy. Condit denied any role in Levy’s death, and also refused to answer any questions about an alleged affair between him and Levy. Levy disappeared in May 2001, and although attention had been focused for a long time on a possible link between Condit and her disappearance, police later arrested a Salvadoran immigrant named Ingmar Guandique in her murder. Guandique had a history of assaulting female joggers in Rock Creek Park, where Levy’s body was discovered in 2002. One of Guandique’s lawyers, Maria Hawilo, focused on Condit’s grand jury appearance in 2002, when Condit had invoked his right against self-incrimination—but Condit said he refused to testify because he felt the prosecutors had unfairly focused their investigation on him. During his testimony Monday, Condit refused to answer any questions that he considered “personal, private” and admitted only to being Levy’s friend and said he is “not speaking” about an alleged sexual relationship.