Posted on 07/19/2005 8:27:04 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO (AP) - A councilman convicted this week in a City Hall corruption case resigned Tuesday, fighting back tears as he described how he and his family have been devastated by the scandal.
"It pains me greatly that some people will infer that I am somehow giving up or making an admission of some kind. Nothing could be further from the truth," Michael Zucchet said, his voice breaking with emotion. "Simply put, I am devastated. My wife and I have endured two years and two months of pure hell. What kept us going was the belief that justice would be served in the end." Zucchet's resignation followed a stunning 72-hour chain of events in the nation's seventh-largest city.
Mayor Dick Murphy left office Friday, resigning in the face of deepening turmoil at City Hall. His replacement, Zucchet, was convicted Monday on his first business day in office. Fellow councilman Ralph Inzunza was found guilty of the same charges, and also plans to resign, his attorney said.
A federal jury found Inzunza and Zucchet guilty of taking payments from a strip club owner who wanted to lift the city's "no-touch" rule preventing dancers and patrons from touching in nude clubs. They will be sentenced in November.
The council appeared to have been operating on the assumption Zucchet would be acquitted. Two weeks before the verdict, at least two council members said they had not considered the fallout from Zucchet's conviction. Councilman Jim Madaffer said at the time he believed Zucchet would be found not guilty.
City Attorney Michael Aguirre said he asked Zucchet, 35, to consider such a worst-case scenario, but the councilman rebuffed the request to vote on his backup, saying more time was needed to notify the public.
On Tuesday, Aguirre said Councilwoman Toni Atkins would remain mayor pro tem until next week, when the council reconsiders an interim replacement. A July 26 mayor election is expected to require a Nov. 8 runoff between the top two finishers.
There are now only six occupied council seats, down from nine on Friday. Five votes are needed to pass legislation. Members of the City Council are vanishing so quickly that the odds of getting anything done are shrinking.
"Everyone is stunned," said Denny Knox, executive director of the Ocean Beach Main Street Association, a business group in Zucchet's district.
Inzunza, 35, was planning to submit his resignation later this week, his attorney, said Michael Pancer. "He's taking it as well as could be expected," the attorney said.
"What kept us going was the belief that justice would be served in the end."
It seems justice was done. What he meant to say was he hoped justice would be blind.
It's simple...
When the MSM doesn't mention party affiliation, you can correctly assume that the subjects are Rats.
Sorry.
ba by to the democrat councilmen.
AT least here we take care of our slime pols.
Put them on trial, convict, and move on.
Other cities and states consider their slime pols
as just boys will be boys.
Strip the crook of his pension too. He is a democrat but council run as non partisan.
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