In light of the current debate the country is having over how the news media should responsibly report on unsubstantiated accusations against public officials, it’s important to remember facts should always dictate what gets reported, not political bias or how sympathetic an accuser or victim may seem.
Inaccurate reporting has real-world consequences that destroys innocent lives.
If you don’t believe me, just ask former California Congressman Gary Condit, D-Ceres — a good man, whose reputation and political career were ruined by fake news.
Back in May of 2001, Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy vanished without a trace. In May 2002 her skeletal remains were found in Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. And in November 2010, Ingmar Guandique, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, was convicted of murdering Levy and was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Then, in 2015 prosecutors admitted to a D.C. court that they failed to turn over documents to the defense during the trial, and in July of 2016 announced that instead of seeking a retrial, they’d be satisfied with having Guandique deported back to El Salvador.
But if you were to open up a paper in the summer of 2001, you’d assume that the real killer was … Congressman Gary Condit!
It was alleged that at the time of her disappearance, Levy and Condit were having an affair. When asked by detectives if he had sex with her, Condit answered, “If you can tell me the relevancy of that question I will answer it. … I don’t think we need to go there, and you can infer what you need to from that for your investigation.”
You don’t have to be Matlock to read between those lines, but nevertheless, the media used that answer to turn him into Jack the Ripper.
The supermarket tabloids were particularly brutal. Some of the sub-headlines included, “Intern died in congressman’s bed — and her body was dumped; she was so distraught she went to Gary’s apartment and committed suicide,” to “Chandra killed in kinky sex game! Condit kept bondage gear under his bed and had a harem of eager beauties,” to “I was Condit’s sex slave — Torrie Hendley says she had 6-month fling with Condit, met in April 1996 in Laughlin; he liked spanking her,” to “Chandra and the congressman’s ruthless ex-con brother. Did he kill her?”
The mainstream press was almost as reckless.
Dominick Dunne of Vanity Fair magazine reported that a man called “the horse whisperer” told him Condit frequented Middle Eastern embassy sex parties and suggested that Levy was taken away by someone on a motorcycle as a favor to Condit.
On July 12, the Washington Post ran a story with the headline, “Condit is linked to a new affair,” despite the fact that the woman in question, Jennifer Thomas, said that she “never met the congressman who’s involved in all of this.”
Why was the heat on Condit? The grieving family of Chandra Levy wanted it that way, and reporters refused to find corroborating evidence before putting their allegations in print.
In his book “Actual Malice,” Condit and co-writer Breton Peace quoted Amanda Haines, the assistant United States attorney assigned to lead the prosecution of Ingmar Guandique, as saying, “Don’t get me started on the Washington Pos … they’ve been completely used — manipulated — by the Levys.”
On the subject of Susan Levy, Chandra’s mother, Haines said, “She’s not stable. … If she wasn’t crazy before her daughter went missing, she’s crazy now. She still thinks Gary had something to do with this. … And she’s out there saying that — right now — and the Post is printing every word of it.”
While testifying at Guandique’s murder trial, Dr. Robert Levy, Chandra’s dad, admitted as much to public defender Santha Sonenberg.
Here is a partial transcript of Levy’s testimony:
Sonenberg: “Did you tell the police that your daughter had a 5-year plan that would involve her getting married to the person with whom she was involved?”
Dr. Levy: “I might have said that but I don’t think she actually believed that. But we were mad at Condit at any rate so we just said whatever came to our mind at that time.”
Sonenberg: “I understand. I’m just trying to find out what you shared with the police at that time.”
Dr. Levy: “Yes. At that time, I was trying to paint him as the villain.”
As a result, so did the news media. Condit lost his seat in Congress, his good name and future prospects for employment.
Eventually, Condit settled two different defamation lawsuits for substantial sums, but the die has been cast, and much of the public will always think of him as a killer.
The media still owes Gary Condit an apology. And as recent events have proved, they didn’t learn a thing. We should think of him whenever a public figure is accused of horrendous acts without evidence.
John Phillips can be heard weekdays at 3 p.m. on “The Drive Home with Jillian Barberie and John Phillips” on KABC/AM 790.
