Condit settles his libel lawsuit against three tabloids

MODESTO, Calif. – Former Rep. Gary Condit settled his libel lawsuit against three tabloid newspapers over articles connecting him to the disappearance and death of federal intern Chandra Levy – the case that led to his political demise.

Lawyers for both sides confirmed the Aug. 18 deal but declined to discuss any details.

“My client is satisfied with the settlement,” Condit attorney L. Lin Wood told The Modesto Bee. The deal was also confirmed by Katharine Cloud, an attorney for American Media Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., which publishes the National Enquirer, Star and Globe.

Condit, a Democrat who spent more than 16 years in Congress, claimed in his $209 million suit that the newspapers ruined his reputation and career with articles about an alleged affair with Levy.

The suit, filed last December, cited stories with headlines like “Missing Intern was Pregnant! Her Final Showdown with Congressman!” and “Condit Did It: Secrets of Chandra’s Last Hours Revealed.”

The remains of the 24-year-old Modesto woman were found in a Washington park in May 2002, a year after her disappearance. An investigation showed she was a homicide victim. No one has been charged in the murder. Police have said Condit is not a suspect.

The case was cited as the main cause of Condit’s re-election defeat in the March 2002 primary.

His wife, Carolyn, settled a lawsuit with the Enquirer for an undisclosed amount in July 2003.