By John Springer
Court TV

A polygraph examination arranged by lawyers for U.S. Rep. Gary A. Condit concluded that the California congressman was telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about the disappearance of former Washington intern Chandra Levy, Condit's attorney said Friday.

Speaking at a Washington news conference, the lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said investigators looking for Levy should be satisfied when their experts review the findings of the examination performed by Barry Colvert, a nationally known, former FBI examiner. Colvert was retained by Lowell to conduct the test.

Lowell sidestepped questions about whether Condit, 53, would submit to a polygraph by a police examiner if asked. Assistant D.C. police Chief Terrance Gainer told reporters after the news conference that Condit's effort was a "bit self-serving." He said the lawyer had not worked with police to come up with questions and agree on an expert to administer the test.

Lowell, who spoke to reporters and answered questions for 18 minutes, said Condit was telling the truth when he was asked by Colvert whether he was involved Levy's disappearance, harmed or caused others to harm her, or, whether he knows where she can be found.

Lowell said he would not release a list of all the questions asked of Condit, who reportedly admitted to police last Friday that he was romantically involved with the young California woman before she disappeared April 30. Levy's aunt has also stated publicly that her niece told her she was dating Condit.

For weeks, the case of the missing intern with alleged romantic ties to a congressman has played out in headlines across the nation. Lowell said he hoped now that the focus would shift away from the congressman and his private life, and back to the search for Chandra Levy.

"Those people who honestly are concerned about the disappearance of Miss Levy will now realize that Congressman Condit has exhausted the information he can provide and the spotlight ought to be shined elsewhere," said Lowell, who expressed continuing frustration with the media frenzy.

Police on Friday continued to search of abandoned buildings in the Northwest neighborhood where Levy and Condit both had apartments continues and police are talking to cab drivers in the area about whether any gave Levy a ride, Gainer said.

There was no immediate reaction from police or Levy's parents, Robert and Susan Levy of Modesto, Calif. Police, who searched Condit's Washington apartment Wednesday night, have repeatedly said that they have uncovered no evidence that a crime was committed and do not consider Condit or any of a hundred other people interviewed to be suspects.

Lowell, who produced a chart showing 10 ways that Condit has cooperated since learning of Levy's disappearance in early May, said the results and raw data from the polygraph examination are being sent to the FBI for review. Pressed by reporters, Lowell said that he is confident that investigators will be satisfied with the examination conducted by a former FBI examiner.

"In the most stressful week in his entire life, Congressman Condit submitted himself to an examination by one of the most well-respected and most-experience examiners in the world," Lowell said.

Colvert, according to Lowell, was an FBI special agent for 35 years and was the agency's primary examiner and interrogator in Washington for many years. The lawyer said that Condit wanted to take the polygraph although Lowell himself had "misgivings" about the controversial machine test that registers physiological changes in responses to questions.

William Iacono, a polygraph expert at the University of Wisconsin, said it should not surprise anyone that someone would pass an exam arranged by his lawyers.

"Lie detector tests are based on the fear of detection. There's not a whole lot of fear of detection if it turns out the test was set up by your lawyer and done privately," Iacono said. "It is what you call a 'friendly test.'"

Addressing questions perhaps being asked privately by federal investigators reportedly looking into whether Condit obstructed justice, Lowell lashed out the media for reporting over and over that the congressman did not come clean about his affair with Levy until his third interview on July 6.

"That's nonsense. Whether he characterized his dealings with Miss Levy or not, he most certainly provided police from the beginning with critical information that they needed," Lowell said.

"This included when he last saw Miss Levy, when he last spoke with her, what mood or disposition she was in during those times, or whether there had been anything that occurred that would cause her to be distraught or run off."

Court TV.com staff writer Jennae Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this story.