Chandra's Parents Won't Rule Out Affair With Congressman

WASHINGTON – The parents of missing Washington intern Chandra Levy think their daughter may have had an affair with their married local congressman, they told Fox News' Paula Zahn Thursday night.

They also acknowledged that a relative may have real information about Chandra's relationship with Gary Condit, D-Calif., and said they are aware of news that might be forthcoming about their daughter's case.

"If there's a relationship and that's connected with her disappearance, we don't know. We can't make any accusations, but we can't rule that out," Chandra's father, Dr. Robert Levy, told Fox News. "This relative did talk with her personally and had information about what was going on."

Chandra's mother, Susan, added, "I am aware about information that will be coming out later."

And despite assurances from Condit's chief of staff that the congressman "has told police all he knows," the parents have not ruled out that he may be holding back information about their daughter.

"If Condit knows anything he can come out and tell us and tell the public. As opposed to through his lawyer," she said. "My daughter is supposedly a close friend of his? And I don't even know where my daughter is."

The Levys' attitude is a transformation from their position last week, when they said they had no evidence that Chandra had been involved with Condit, 53, and steered clear of making any connections. On Thursday, not only did they talk about the possibility of the affair, but hinted that investigators might be under some unspecified "pressure" to keep pertinent facts from coming to light.

The 24-year-old intern was last seen the evening of April 30 at her Capitol Hill gym. Since then, local police have released no leads on the case, despite a concerted effort by her friends, family and police to scour her neighborhood, as well as the congressman's D.C. neighborhood, for information.

Last week, the Washington Post reported that inside sources in the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department told the paper that Condit had confessed Levy had spent the night at his apartment. Condit has denied such admissions and has even asked for a retraction through his newly retained attorney Joseph Cotchett of California. The only statement he has made about their relationship is to say they are "good friends."

The paper also reported that a relative close to Chandra told police Chandra had confided in her about the affair with Condit.

"All he has stated is that they were friends," Cotchett told Fox News. He said that this is why Condit went to police to ask for their help and put up a $10,000 reward for information to begin with. Friends of Levy have said the former Bureau of Prisons intern has visited Condit's Capitol Hill office several times. As a resident of Modesto, Calif., she was his constituent and reportedly had friends who worked in his office.

On Thursday, it was reported by several media sources that Condit has been under a certain amount of pressure on Capitol Hill to publicly address his relationship with Levy in order to clear up the uncertainly that has apparently been dogging him like an angry cloud since her disappearance.

Cotchett said that Condit has not held a press conference chiefly because "he has official business in Washington" and the "media frenzy" has made it impossible for him to talk about it in a fair forum.

It has not been confirmed whether Cotchett will attempt to file suit against the Post for what he is calling inaccurate information from "unnamed sources."

"He (Condit) isn't holding anything back," he said. "He has been an open book for anyone who has asked him about this."