Ann Marie Smith Interview Transcript

N E W   Y O R K, Aug. 28 -- Flight attendant Anne Marie Smith and her lawyers took legal action against Rep. Gary Condit and his staff on Monday, asking a Stanislaus County, Calif., grand jury to indict them on charges of suborning perjury and obstructing justice for pressing her to deny an alleged affair.

She talked about the case with ABCNEWS' Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America.

(The following is an uncorrected, unedited transcript.)

ABCNEWS' DIANE SAWYER: Well, there was someone else whose name came up lastnight as it has so often in all of this, and that is Anne Marie Smithwho acknowledged a 10—month relationship with Condit, what she calls arelationship with Condit, he would say. And some of it, in fact, atthe same time, apparently, that he was seeing Chandra Levy. She joins us this morning along with her attorney, Jim Robinson,and we thank you both for coming in this morning.

First of all, I haven't heard what you have to say since theinterview that Congressman Condit gave last week. How did you feelwatching it?

ANNE MARIE SMITH: My initial reaction was I was hurt by what he had to sayand I was very disappointed.

SMITH: I thought that perhaps he would come forth, comeforward as being a little more contrite or sympathetic, apologetictowards the family. And I also felt when I was watching it that itwasn't the same person that I knew.

SAWYER: What do you mean?

SMITH: It wasn't the Mr. Condit that I knew. I mean, he was very tense, nervous.

SAWYER: And ordinarily he would be?

SMITH: Comfortable, you know, relaxed, joking around. He was —I could see anger. I mean, he was very angry.

SAWYER: Somebody said that you felt sorry for him watching it.

SMITH: I did. I really did. I mean, I feel really bad aboutthe position that he's in right now.

SAWYER: How is it possible to feel sorry for him, and then atthe same time to say, "OK, I'm going to move to try to get a criminalindictment against him," which we heard about yesterday? How do thosetwo things compute?

SMITH: The reason I feel very badly for him is because I thinkif he would have been honest and forthcoming in the very beginning, heprobably wouldn't be in the situation that he's in right now. Andhe's taken steps to put himself in this position. He asked me to lie.And if I hadn't had an attorney, I would've perjured myself — I mean,I wasn't aware of the law, and I wanted to keep my name out of themedia. And I would've marched right over there and signed thataffidavit.

SAWYER: So you want to punish him for doing that to you?

SMITH: No, I don't want to punish him at all.

SAWYER: But this is moving for a criminal indictment —criminal.

SMITH: I feel that he has put me in a situation where I can't goback. He put me — I didn't ask to be put in the middle of this wholesituation. And the position that he's put me in, I can't go back now.I can only go forward as far as setting the record straight.