Condit aide denies pushing woman not to talk to police

WASHINGTON - A top aide for Gary Condit yesterday denied reports that he urged a former colleague to lie to FBI agents about her relationship with the United States Congressman.

USA Today yesterday quoted former Condit staffer Joleen Argentini McKay as claiming that Mike Dayton, the Congressman's senior staffer on Capitol Hill, had urged her to "leave [the affair] in the past or it will ruin you."

US news reports said that McKay, aged 29, had an affair with Condit in 1994 and gave Condit a watch. Condit allegedly disposed of the watch case in Virginia hours before the FBI and police searched his apartment this month.

Dayton told CNN "It's absolutely not true."

Condit, 53 has been questioned in connection with the disappearance of former intern Chandra Levy who is believed to have had a relationship with Condit.

Flight attendant Anne Marie Smith has said that Condit aides had asked her not to speak to the police about her affair with Condit. She produced an affidavit, which denied the affair, that she said Condit's team had asked her to sign.

The lawyer for Levy's family raised the possibility yesterday of a lawsuit against Condit if police are unable to solve the mystery which has gripped the nation.

"It is clearly an option, and it is one that the family will consider at the appropriate time," lawyer Billy Martin told AP.

The suit would allow Levy's family to seek answers in court about their daughter's disappearance, but it won't be considered while the police search for Levy continues.

Martin, who represents Robert and Susan Levy, said the family is not accusing Condit of wrongdoing but that he cannot rule out Condit's involvement in Levy's disappearance.

"We'd hope to one day be able to do that," Martin said. Police have said repeatedly they do not consider the California Democrat representative a suspect. Condit admitted an affair with Levy, 24, during his third interview with police this month.

In another development, Fox News reported that police want to interview Condit's wife Carolyn for a second time. She told police that she had neither met nor heard of Levy before her disappearance gained attention. But police are now believed to have evidence that she may have had contact with Levy before she went missing.

- AGENCIES