SAN DIEGO -- Former San Diego Councilman George Stevens said he met twice with a Las Vegas lobbyist who is a key figure in a federal investigation involving strip clubs and three current councilmen, it was reported Thursday.

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Stevens said he met with lobbyist Lance Malone mostly to discuss fund raising, but the topic of the city's adult entertainment laws did come up.

Stevens does not remember the dates of the meetings, only that they occurred before he lost the March 2002 Democratic primary election for the 78th Assembly seat, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

At their first meeting over breakfast, Malone produced a $3,000 campaign check from Cheetahs, a Kearny Mesa strip club, 10News reported.

When Malone set up that meeting, "I didn't know who he was connected with," said Stevens, now a field representative for state Assemblywoman Shirley Horton, R-Chula Vista.

Stevens said that at a second meeting Malone offered to put on a fund raiser for him in Las Vegas.

One of Malone's associates at the same meeting asked him if he could get a council committee to reconsider the recently changed adult entertainment law. Stevens said he declined to bring up the ordinance, and the fund-raiser was never held.

Stevens, (pictured, left), said Councilman Charles Lewis, who was his chief of staff at the time and was running to replace Stevens, met separately with Malone.

Lewis reported receiving $4,500 in contributions in the first half of 2001 from Las Vegas-area donors, at least $2,000 of which came from those associated with La Fuente Inc., of which Cheetahs owner Michael Galardi is president.

Malone's dealings with politicians here and in Las Vegas have become a focus of a public corruption-probe.

On May 14, FBI agents raided the offices of Councilmen Michael Zucchet, Lewis and Ralph Inzunza. Simultaneously, agents raided strip clubs in San Diego and Las Vegas owned by Galardi.

Law enforcement sources in San Diego said the probe centers on whether public officials were bribed with tens of thousands of dollars in attempts to change city laws regulating adult entertainment business.

Lewis, Inzunza and Zucchet have denied any wrongdoing.