Friday July 27 2:59 AM ET

Lawmaker Favors Banning Affairs with Interns

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The list of lawmakers publicly turning up the political heat on Rep. Gary Condit grew Thursday with Rep. Scott McInnis condemning the California Democrat, who remains a key figure in the case of missing intern Chandra Levy.

McInnis said in an interview that Condit's behavior had brought disgrace on the U.S. House of Representatives and that he would seek a new ethics rule barring sexual relations between House members and interns.

Condit, 53, reportedly told police he had a romantic relationship with Levy, who disappeared 12 weeks ago. Police have said there is no evidence linking Condit to Levy's disappearance and he is not a suspect.

``I think it is unethical, frankly, for a congressman to have a relationship, a sexual relationship, with an intern,'' McInnis, a Colorado Republican, said on CNN's ``Wolf Blitzer Reports.''

``I intend tomorrow to go to the ethics committee and ask the ethics committee to immediately draft a rule ... that makes it very clear that it's unethical for a United States congressman to have a sexual relationship with an intern,'' McInnis said.

``We have to assure this nation that this is an institution of honor and that our interns are not back here for the love making purposes of U.S. congressmen,'' he said.

McInnis also said Condit should resign. Condit's spokeswoman was not immediately available to comment.

The House ethics panel -- formally, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct -- is chaired by Rep. Joel Hefley, also a Colorado Republican.

Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi recently said that if Condit, a married father of two, had had an affair with the 24-year-old Levy, he should resign from Congress.

But not all House members agree that having an extramarital affair should be grounds for resignation. Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays, in a recent appearance on CNN, said, ``If infidelity is the test, there would be a number of members of Congress who should resign.''

Rep. Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, requested a House ethics probe, largely into allegations that Condit had been less than forthright with police by initially denying a romantic relationship with Levy.

The ethics panel deferred action on Barr's request because it said law enforcement officials appeared to be investigating the charges.

A longtime congressional ally of Condit, Rep. Charles Stenholm, a Texas Democrat, said this week that Condit had brought ``discredit to his family, his district and the Congress.''

-----