-Caveat Lector-
[At this point, I really wonder why this freak even bothers! --MS]
http://www.modbee.com/metro/story/0,1113,281907,00.html
Modesto Bee
July 13, 2001
Condit denies affair with teen
By JEFF JARDINE
Rep. Gary Condit's chief of staff said Thursday that the congressman from
Ceres denies having had an affair with -- or even knowing -- the daughter
of a Modesto minister.
O.C. Thomas told the FBI, The Bee and The Washington Post that his daughter
Jennifer had a relationship with Condit that began when she was 18 or 19
years old and lasted until she was about 21.
Mike Lynch, Condit's chief of staff, said repeatedly during an interview
with The Bee that Condit told him there was no such relationship.
"He said this is just not true," Lynch said. "We've asked him about The
Post story, and he said it's just not true."
Lynch also noted a letter purportedly written by Jennifer Thomas saying she
had never met "the congressman who's involved in all this."
While denying the alleged relationship between Condit and Thomas, Lynch
declined to confirm or deny reported affairs with missing intern Chandra
Levy and flight attendant Anne Marie Smith.
Addressing criticism over Condit's public silence, Lynch said the
congressman has indicated that he will "talk about this case in detail once
it is appropriate in terms of the investigation."
Lynch also told The Bee that Condit intends to run for re-election in 2002.
"We decided some time ago he would run," Lynch said. "There's no change in
those plans."
That decision, he said, was made before the disappearance of Levy.
She was last seen April 30 in Washington, D.C., a week after completing an
internship at the Bureau of Prisons.
Condit, 53, reportedly admitted to investigators in Washington, D.C., that
he and Levy, 24, were romantically involved. Police have said he is not a
suspect in her disappearance, which the department is investigating as a
missing person case.
Thomas' father reported that his daughter, now 26, has fled the area in
fear. He said he encouraged her to come forward with information about the
alleged affair because he believed it was her best source of protection.
The father, the longtime gardener for Levy's parents, Robert and Susan Levy
of Modesto, said he believes the affair happened sometime between 1993 and
1996.
Lynch complained that news reports on the alleged affair are based on
hearsay from the father, with no confirmation from Jennifer Thomas.
"What link is there to Gary Condit?" he asked, claiming that the story fell
below The Bee's usual journalistic standards.
Condit's former driver, Vince Flammini of Ceres, echoed Lynch's assertions,
saying Thursday that he had never heard of Jennifer Thomas.
"That's a bull---- story," Flammini said. "I worked for him all through
that time. I was his driver. I've never seen that girl in my life."
Flammini also disputed that Condit took Thomas to his home in Ceres, as her
father contends.
"Gary would never do that," said Flammini, who earlier confirmed Condit's
relationship with Smith, the flight attendant. "There's no way I ever took
girls to Gary's house. I don't know how it could have gotten by me."
O.C. Thomas could not be reached for comment Thursday.
But others affiliated with his church, the Prayer Mission Church of God in
Christ in Modesto, said they do not believe he would fabricate a story such
as the one he has told regarding his daughter and Condit.
"I just can't see him doing that," said Ester Ard, wife of the church's
pastor. "He's a very caring person. There's nothing he won't do for a
person."
Thomas was described as compassionate, honest and upstanding. He served as
a pastor at another church until heart trouble forced him to retire. Thomas
does volunteer maintenance at Prayer Mission Church.
Pamela Niblett, who occasionally attends the church, described Thomas and
his wife as giving.
"They're good people," said Niblett, 34, of Modesto.
Thomas' daughter does not attend the church, Ard said.
Visitors to the Thomas family's apartment in Ceres were greeted by a
handwritten note on the door. It began, "My name is Jennifer Thomas."
The letter stated that neither she nor her father would consent to
interviews, she never knew the Levys or Chandra, and that she never met
"that congressman who's involved in all this."
A neighbor in the complex said Jennifer Thomas has a twin sister named
Janet. The neighbor, Betty Hoffman, said media who went to the apartment
Wednesday night probably spoke with Janet and not Jennifer, who is believed
to still be out of the area.
In his interview with The Bee, Lynch addressed other issues that have
followed Condit since Levy disappeared:
He discounted reports from various media suggesting that Condit staff
members have become demoralized because of the constant media frenzy
involving their boss.
"No one has talked to me about leaving or quitting," he said. "It's been
more of a case of pulling together and helping each other out. When there's
a difficult time, family pulls together. We are like a family."
Lynch said Condit plans to maintain his schedule of public appearances in
the district. He said Condit missed Fourth of July events only because he
was accompanying his wife, Carolyn, to Washington, D.C., for her meeting
with investigators in the Levy disappearance.
"With the exception of the Fourth, I don't think you guys can name anything
he's missed that he normally would have attended," Lynch said.
Lynch dispelled the notion that Carolyn Condit has a chronic illness, and
he laughed at depictions of her by some media organizations as being a
near-
invalid. He said she is healthy, vivacious and a constant participant in
community events and programs.
"You've seen her," he said. "Carolyn's doing fine. The kids are doing fine.
I'm sure this has been painful to all of them. It's a strong family and a
fundamentally sound group of people."
Some readers may have been confused by an article on Page A-1 Thursday that
carried the credit lines of reporters Jeff Jardine of The Modesto Bee and
Petula Dvorak and Allan Lengel of The Washington Post.
The article contained reporting done independently by the two newspapers.
For separate accounts by the two papers, see:
www.modbee.com.
Bee staff writer Suzanne Hurt contributed to this report.
Bee staff writer Jeff Jardine can be reached at 578-2383 or
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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