nice to see SOMEONE is working hard to...keep us hard! these are politicians EVERYONE here at the site should heartily endorse!
**********************************************
Trial Begins for San Diego Councilmen
SAN DIEGO - Two city councilmen, including the man in line to become interim mayor, went on trial Tuesday on federal charges that they took money in exchange for trying to ease restrictions on touching dancers at strip clubs.
Councilmen Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza have pleaded not guilty to charges they participated in the alleged scheme to repeal San Diego's "no-touch" law in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars from a Las Vegas strip club owner.
"This is a case about the corruption of the political process through bribery, undue influence and deceit," federal prosecutor Paul Cook said Tuesday in his opening statement.
Cook said much of the testimony and evidence at the trial will be "R rated." He said that during a 2 1/2-year investigation, "thousands and thousands" of conversations were secretly recorded in which the defendants and others detailed the plan to buy the councilmen's influence.
An attorney for Inzunza said the councilman did not believe he was doing anything wrong. "They are lobbied all the time. It is part of our free system of elections in this country," defense attorney Michael Pancer said.
Zucchet is San Diego's deputy mayor, positioning him to become the interim leader of the nation's seventh-largest city when Dick Murphy leaves office July 15. The Republican mayor resigned last month after a disputed November election and deepening federal investigations of the city pension fund.
San Diego, which has a dozen strip clubs, imposed a ban on touching dancers in 2000. A proposal to have the council reconsider the law never made it onto the agenda of a council committee.
Zucchet and Inzunza — both 35-year-old Democrats — are on trial with Lance Malone, a former Nevada county commissioner who worked as a lobbyist for the strip-club owner, Michael Galardi.
Zucchet, Inzunza and Councilman Charles Lewis were indicted in 2003 on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Charges against Lewis, 37, were dropped after he died last year. Zucchet and Inzunza are also charged with extortion.
**********************************************
Trial Begins for San Diego Councilmen
SAN DIEGO - Two city councilmen, including the man in line to become interim mayor, went on trial Tuesday on federal charges that they took money in exchange for trying to ease restrictions on touching dancers at strip clubs.
Councilmen Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza have pleaded not guilty to charges they participated in the alleged scheme to repeal San Diego's "no-touch" law in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars from a Las Vegas strip club owner.
"This is a case about the corruption of the political process through bribery, undue influence and deceit," federal prosecutor Paul Cook said Tuesday in his opening statement.
Cook said much of the testimony and evidence at the trial will be "R rated." He said that during a 2 1/2-year investigation, "thousands and thousands" of conversations were secretly recorded in which the defendants and others detailed the plan to buy the councilmen's influence.
An attorney for Inzunza said the councilman did not believe he was doing anything wrong. "They are lobbied all the time. It is part of our free system of elections in this country," defense attorney Michael Pancer said.
Zucchet is San Diego's deputy mayor, positioning him to become the interim leader of the nation's seventh-largest city when Dick Murphy leaves office July 15. The Republican mayor resigned last month after a disputed November election and deepening federal investigations of the city pension fund.
San Diego, which has a dozen strip clubs, imposed a ban on touching dancers in 2000. A proposal to have the council reconsider the law never made it onto the agenda of a council committee.
Zucchet and Inzunza — both 35-year-old Democrats — are on trial with Lance Malone, a former Nevada county commissioner who worked as a lobbyist for the strip-club owner, Michael Galardi.
Zucchet, Inzunza and Councilman Charles Lewis were indicted in 2003 on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Charges against Lewis, 37, were dropped after he died last year. Zucchet and Inzunza are also charged with extortion.
