SAN DIEGO -- Attorneys for three San Diego City Council members accused of taking a strip club owner's bribes to undo a "no touch" ordinance pressed government lawyers Thursday to say if any cash was exchanged.

10 Editorial: City Council Probe

Jerry Coughlan, the attorney for Councilman Michael Zucchet (pictured, middle), told U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller that prosecutors would "neither confirm (n)or deny" the existence of cash payments in the case.

Attorneys for Zucchet and councilmen Ralph Inzunza, (pictured, far left), and Charles Lewis, (pictured, left), have said any payments the trio were received were legally reported as campaign contributions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Cook said government attorneys would not "piecemeal" the case during the pretrial process. He declined to answer specific questions about specific defendants every time they were asked.

"We asked them for any evidence that the councilmen received any cash payments," Coughlan said. "You can't infer corruption simply from the acceptance of campaign contributions. There's no evidence that anybody here got a bribe."

Coughlan said if he can show no bribes were taken, he can win the case on the "first day of trial."

After an hour-long hearing, the defendants withdrew a "discovery" request aimed at undergirding a possible motion alleging outrageous governmental misconduct.

The withdrawal allows the defense to raise the issue later if it chooses.

According to a federal indictment returned Aug. 28, Cheetahs owner Michael Galardi, his San Diego night manager, John D'Intino, and Galardi lobbyist Lance Malone paid an undercover San Diego vice detective, who they believed was on the take, for tipoffs on when inspectors might drop in at Cheetahs in Kearny Mesa.

The indictment alleges the defendants conspired to get San Diego's "no touch" rule at strip clubs repealed by giving thousands of dollars to the councilmen.

A defense attorney said the government used the vice detective and a longtime "FBI" informant to convince the councilmen the vice unit would rather be fighting street crime than enforcing the "no touch" law.

The councilmen would not have sought the change had they believed the vice unit would object, said Inzunza's attorney, Michael Pancer.

Lewis, Inzunza, Zucchet and Malone have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Galardi and D'Intino pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the others.

Miller set a status conference for March 11.