SAN DIEGO -- Two San Diego City Council staffers appeared at the Federal Building today, apparently to testify before a grand jury convening for the third time since a raid on three City Council offices.

The federal probe, reportedly delving into bribery allegations, included the May 14 searches of the offices of Councilmen Michael Zucchet, Charles Lewis and Ralph Inzunza, and of strip clubs in San Diego and Las Vegas.

Seen entering the Federal Building were Elena Burton, (pictured, far left), Inzunza's office manager, and David Cowan, (pictured, right), a field representative for Lewis.

Burton was interviewed for about an hour, according to reports.

Attorney Knut Johnson, representing Burton, told reporters the situation is "scary" and "upsetting" for council staffers.

"It's a nightmare for all these staffers and all these employees who are working hard, doing a good job and an honest job," Johnson said. "And then all of a sudden the federal government is looking at their bosses very, very closely, and there's at least an insinuation that there might be some indictments of some public officials."

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This is the third Friday in a row that the grand jury has convened in San Diego. Councilman Jim Madaffer testified on May 16, and three other council staffers went before the panel last week.

By law, grand jury proceedings are secret.

The probe reportedly centers on whether public officials were bribed with tens of thousands of dollars in attempts to change San Diego city ordinances affecting strip clubs.

FBI agents in Las Vegas served four search warrants yesterday in connection with the federal public corruption investigation in San Diego, 10News reported.

The searches were the first since the raid on the council offices and strip clubs owned by Michael Galardi.

Zucchet, Lewis and Inzunza have denied any wrongdoing.