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Strip Club Warrant Details Revealed

10News Obtains Copy Of Warrant

POSTED: 8:25 am PDT May 16, 2003
UPDATED: 12:19 pm PDT May 16, 2003

San Diego city leaders could have been swayed by campaign money from a strip club owner, 10News reported.

10News obtained a six-page warrant that lists what the FBI was looking for at the Cheetahs strip club when it was raided Wednesday along with three city council member's offices.

  SURVEY
In light of the FBI investigation, have you lost any faith in the City Council?

A judge approved the warrant for just one of strip club owner Michael Galardi's Las Vegas properties, but it's reportedly similar to all of the warrants issued in the investigation, according to 10News.

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10News learned that agents were looking through Galardi's financial history since 1997 and the link to San Diego were records of campaign contributions.

Investigators believe that Galardi was trying to ease strip club regulations by filling the coffers of San Diego council members, and that's why the offices of councilmen Ralph Inzunza, Michael Zucchet and Charles Lewis were searched in the raid.

City Attorney Casey Gwinn said authorities will take an extensive look at council votes.

"All of those have to be evaluated, then you see if there are validity issues," Gwinn said.

The probe also targets who got the campaign contributions and how much went to each person.

Two of the council members, Inzunza and Lewis, received several thousand dollars from Galardi and his associates, 10News reported.

As the warrant alludes to, FBI agents reportedly will be hunting for evidence of any hidden owners of the clubs.

The FBI will also try to get answers from interviews. Two of the council members have reportedly talked with the FBI, according to 10News.

Councilman Jim Madaffer, whose office was not raided, will voluntarily testify before the federal grand jury Friday.

Meantime, San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy made a promise to the public Thursday, now that their faith in the city council may have weakened.

"I want to assure public business of city continues," he said.


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