SAN DIEGO -- Attorney Mike Aguirre has filed a lawsuit to stop what he called "secret meetings" between city officials and the San Diego Chargers about the construction of a new stadium for the NFL team.

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Aguirre claims city officials violated the Brown Act by convening in private with representative from the Chargers.

Under the Brown Act, citizens are entitled to monitor and participate in policy development, the attorney said.

In a letter to Mayor Dick Murphy and the City Council, Aguirre demanded that they produce public records and other information about the group working on Chargers issues.

Murphy acknowledged the existence of a group trying to keep the football team in San Diego, but declined to say who it includes.

The mayor said Aguirre's letter had a number of factual errors, and forwarded it to the City Attorney's Office for a response.

Aguirre's lawsuit -- filed on behalf of Peter Direnza and all other city of San Diego taxpayers -- also seeks to stop the "waste" of taxpayer funds.

The attorney said public taxpayer money should go toward the convention center and to San Diego police officers.

Earlier this month, the Chargers announced the team would move its practices to the Los Angeles area.

There has been speculation that the team will try to move there entirely when a contract clause opens up in a few years.

Aguirre said the "secret" negotiation process was designed for the Chargers to "drive up the price" for the team to stay in San Diego.

"I don't believe that Los Angeles is that interested in the Chargers," Aguirre said. "I think a lot of this is smoke and mirrors."

Aguirre came in third in the March primary election for district attorney. He also made failed bids as a candidate for the San Diego City Council and Congress.

He represented attorney Bruce Henderson in a failed lawsuit challenging the city's $78 million agreement with the Chargers to expand Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers' contract keeps the team in San Diego until 2020. But a clause allows owner Alex Spanos to "shop" the team to other cities in 2004 if the team exceeds certain National Football League salary restrictions.

The city has repeatedly tried to renegotiate its contract with the Chargers due to a ticket guarantee that has cost taxpayers $25.3 million since 1997. The Chargers are uninterested in redoing the deal.