San Diego's acting mayor and a councilman were convicted today of taking illegal campaign contributions from strip club owners.

Acting Mayor Michael Zucchet and Councilman Ralph Inzunza were convicted Monday on federal corruption charges, with a jury finding the politicians conspired with a strip club owner to ease restrictions on such clubs. The panel convicted Inzunza on nine counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy and three counts of extortion. Zucchet was convicted of one count of wire-fraud conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud and three counts of extortion.

....Zucchet and Inzunza had contended they accepted only legitimate campaign contributions and were just doing their jobs. But jurors accepted the prosecution's case that the contributions and cash the councilmen accepted came in exchange for their promises to scale back the rules.

This LA Times report has an interesting twist to the trial.