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Former strip club owner Michael Galardi bankrolled the plan to bribe San Diego councilmen to repeal a no-touching law at the clubs, but he was not the leader and organizer of the plan and should not be penalized as such, prosecutors said. JERRY RIFE/Union-Tribune Michael Galardi testified in the council bribery trial. In documents filed Thursday with the court, prosecutors took the unusual step of objecting to a sentencing recommendation by the neutral U.S. Probation Office by saying it is too harsh. Prosecutors are better known for objecting when they consider recommendations to be too lenient. The government disputed the...

SAN DIEGO - The Justice Department said Monday that it will appeal a federal judge's ruling that overturned a jury conviction of a former City Council member accused of taking money from a strip club owner in exchange for political favors. U.S. Attorney Carol Lam poured significant resources into winning a conviction against Michael Zucchet in July 2005, forcing the councilman to resign and relinquish his position as interim mayor. Four months later, U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Miller acquitted Zucchet, saying the evidence against him on charges of fraud and extortion was insufficient. "Because it is rare for a...

Zucchet acquitted of conspiracy UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM 2:36 p.m. November 10, 2005 SAN DIEGO – Former City Councilman Michael Zucchet was acquitted Thursday by a federal judge of conspiracy after a day and a half of legal arguments in the City Hall corruption trial, KGTV-Channel 10 reported. Zucchet and fellow former Councilman Ralph Inzunza were convicted July 18 of extortion, wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges in a scheme to trade campaign contributions to try to repeal the law banning touching between dancers and patrons at strip clubs. Lance Malone, a Las Vegas lobbyist, was convicted of multiple...

Former San Diego City Councilman Ralph Inzunza has been hired by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council to teach computer, math and language skills to low-income job seekers. Inzunza began his job the first week of August, about two weeks after he and ex-Councilman Michael Zucchet were convicted of federal corruption charges and resigned from the council. "We have a job and he can do the job very well," said Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Butkiewicz. "It seemed like a perfect fit." Inzunza's new job, which pays $30,000 to $40,000 a year, was offered spontaneously by Butkiewicz during a lunch date the last...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A city councilman announced his resignation Thursday, three days after he was convicted of federal corruption charges in a failed scheme to overturn San Diego's ban on touching dancers at strip clubs. Ralph Inzunza, 35, said his resignation would take effect Monday. In a three-sentence letter, he said he was stepping down "in order that the business of the city may continue." Inzunza and Michael Zucchet, a fellow councilman and acting mayor, were suspended from office Monday after a jury convicted them of conspiracy, extortion and wire fraud. Zucchet announced his resignation Tuesday at an emotional...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A councilman convicted this week in a City Hall corruption case resigned Tuesday, fighting back tears as he described how he and his family have been devastated by the scandal. "It pains me greatly that some people will infer that I am somehow giving up or making an admission of some kind. Nothing could be further from the truth," Michael Zucchet said, his voice breaking with emotion. "Simply put, I am devastated. My wife and I have endured two years and two months of pure hell. What kept us going was the belief that justice would...

A federal jury has found San Diego City council members Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zuchett guilty of several charges in connection with allegations that they accepted money from a strip club owner in return for efforts to rescind the city's no-touch ordinance. LISTEN FOR LIVE COVERAGE ON NEWSRADIO 600 KOGO.

San Diego's Acting Mayor Convicted By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago A federal jury on Monday convicted San Diego's new acting mayor and a city councilman of taking payoffs from a strip club owner to help repeal the "no-touching" ordinance at nude clubs, the latest blow to a city already awash in scandal. Michael Zucchet, who became interim mayor over the weekend, was found guilty of conspiracy, extortion and fraud on his first business day in office. He will almost certainly have to resign. Councilman Ralph Inzunza, who was also convicted of the same charges, is also...

SAN DIEGO - City Councilman Michael Zucchet has been logging long days in court, where his federal trial on charges of accepting illegal campaign money from a strip-club owner is finally set to go to a jury as early as Tuesday. On Friday, he is scheduled to take over as interim mayor of a city that has long prided itself on clean government. Or maybe he won't. San Diego, stung by a string of embarrassing scandals, is facing a fundamental question at a time of deep legal and financial trouble: Who's in charge? Voters are mulling who should replace Mayor...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - An FBI spy told a federal jury Wednesday that former strip club owner Michael Galardi paid bribes through a former southern Nevada lawmaker and another associate to a Las Vegas judge. The judge was not named, and U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller in San Diego struck the testimony from the record after defense lawyers objected that Tony Montagna's testimony was not relevant to the corruption trial of former Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone and two San Diego city councilmen. Government prosecutors argued the testimony was relevant because it established that Galardi and Malone bribed public officials...

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A retired Navy commander, an insurance underwriter and a fan of conservative talk radio were appointed Friday to a jury that will decide whether two San Diego councilmen took money from a Las Vegas strip-club owner in exchange for trying to ease restrictions on touching dancers at adult bars. The jury of eight men and four women will hear opening statements Tuesday in the trial of Councilmen Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zucchet, who have pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and extortion in an alleged scheme to repeal San Diego's...

NBCSandiego.com Roberts Makes Decision About Running For Mayor Murphy Will Leave Office On July 15 POSTED: 11:40 am PDT May 4, 2005 UPDATED: 11:57 am PDT May 4, 2005 SAN DIEGO -- County Supervisor Ron Roberts announced Wednesday morning that he would not seek the San Diego mayor's office. Roberts, who has unsuccessfully run for city mayor four times, made the announcement at 11 a.m. at the County Administration Building in San Diego. Instead, Roberts said he would focus on his re-election to the County Board of Supervisors... Roberts said that he was not ready to endorse any candidate for...

The highly anticipated corruption trial of two San Diego city councilmen is scheduled to begin Tuesday with much more at stake than the freedom and careers of young politicians. The reputation of the city and the future of its Democratic-majority council will be on the line. The trial could bring a backlash against politicians in general, revealing their behind-the-scenes behavior and giving constituents an unprecedented peek at their elected officials beyond images and slogans. "To a certain extent, the system is on trial," said Geoffrey C. Morrison, a lawyer for cooperating defendant John D'Intino. "What's going to end up happening...

FBI agents accompanied by San Diego police raided the offices of three San Diego City Council members shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday. Search warrants were served at the offices of Councilmen Ralph Inzunza, Charles Lewis and Michael Zucchet, U.S. Attorney Carol Lam said at a news conference The probe may involve campaign contributions, sources close to the investigation told The San Diego Union-Tribune. No charges have been filed, FBI Agent Jan Caldwell said in a brief statement. "We'll try to wrap up the investigation as expeditiously as possible," Caldwell said. The FBI also served a search warrant at Cheetahs, a...

A political shake-up appeared to be under way in Seattle, as early returns last night showed three incumbent City Council members and two School Board members trailing challengers. However, a ballot measure that would require council members to run from geographic districts in the future was slightly behind in early returns. If that measure does pass, all nine council members would be up for re-election in 2005 when members would run from the new districts. Voters were rejecting the council's most veteran member, Margaret Pageler; first-term populist Judy Nicastro; and Heidi Wills, who set a new fund raising-record for a...