July 11, 2001
BY CERTIFIED
MAIL AND FAX (202-727-5116)
Assistant Chief
Brian Jordan
Office of
Professional Responsibility
Internal
Affairs Unit
Metropolitan
Police Department
51 N Street, NE
4th
Floor
Washington, DC
20002-3323
Re:
Complaint Against Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey.
Dear Assistant
Chief Jordan:
Judicial
Watch, Inc. (“Judicial Watch”) is a non-profit, public interest law firm that
investigates and prosecutes government abuse and corruption.
Judicial
Watch, in the public interest, hereby files this formal complaint against Chief
of Police Charles H. Ramsey for dereliction of duty and political favoritism
toward Congressman Gary A. Condit in the “missing person” investigation
concerning Ms. Chandra Levy.
Publically
availably information and media reports over the past eleven weeks have
documented and detailed the actions and non-actions of Congressman Gary A.
Condit with respect to Chandra Levy’s disappearance. Despite Congressman Condit’s materially false, misleading
statements and obstructionist tactics, Chief Ramsey and the Metropolitan Police
Department leadership have failed to pursue basic, fundamental investigative
leads and avenues of inquiry concerning the Congressman. Chief Ramsey’s decision not to pursue Ms.
Levy’s “missing person case” with diligence and vigor, due to potentially
awkward and embarrassing political considerations, brings enormous discredit
upon Chief Ramsey and the Metropolitan Police Department, and may have, in some
way, contributed to the fact that Ms. Levy has yet to be found, dead or
alive. Leads have grown cold, memories
and recollections faded, and whatever physical evidence that may have been
available to competent investigators has, by now, been lost or destroyed. If Ms. Levy has fallen prey to
“professionals,” then the slow, disorganized and cursory investigative action
of Chief Ramsey’s Metropolitan Police investigators may have sealed her fate.
It
is clear that Congressman Condit is receiving extraordinary “kid gloves”
treatment from the Metropolitan Police Department – far different than how any
ordinary citizen whom the police considered an uncooperative material witness
or possible suspect would be treated.
The public is keenly aware of Chief Ramsey’s double standard in dealing
with Congressman Condit. The disparity
further damages the reputation, integrity and image of a law enforcement agency
plagued with a very troubled and corrupt past.
This
discriminatory treatment has manifested itself in several ways, including but
not limited to:
1. The failure to declare Congressman Condit a
suspect, despite the fact that he admitted he lied to DC police authorities,
and is alleged to have suborned perjury through the presentation of a false
affidavit to a material witness.
2. The failure to search the condominium of
Congressman Condit for 11 weeks, thereby allowing any leads to grow cold. Indeed, just today Chief Ramsey admitted
that neither he nor the Metropolitan Police Department ever even asked
Congressman Condit for permission to search his condominium, until the
Congressman’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell volunteered recently.
3. The failure to suggest, until Congressman
Condit’s attorney allegedly volunteered, to have Congressman Condit take a
polygraph examination.
Finally,
since the DC government, including its police department, is beholden to
Congress for its operating funds, it is apparent that Chief Ramsey and the
Metropolitan Police Department have a conflict of interest (See Judicial Watch
Press Release of July 11, 2001, enclosed).
Judicial Watch requests that the Office of
Professional Responsibility immediately conduct a full and comprehensive
investigation into the conduct of the Chandra Levy “missing person case,” with
particular attention on the decisions of Chief Ramsey and other senior members
of the department’s leadership who have, for political reasons, obviously been
derelict in their duties, increasing the virtual certainty that Chandra Levy is
now dead.
Thank you for your prompt attention.
Sincerely,
JUDICIAL WATCH, INC.
Larry Klayman
Chairman and General
Counsel
cc: Mayor Anthony
Williams