Leland Wong resigns

Best smirk-inducing line in today's LAT story on Leland Wong, a top City Hall fundraiser and all-around operator.

Wong said he was unaware of a $100 limit on gifts to politicians.

Ha ha ha. Wong has been president of pretty much all the juice commissions the city has to offer -- Airports, Harbor and DWP. What the members of these commissions do (at least some of them) is funnel money and gifts to elected officials from the people who want city business. He's so plugged in, it doesn't even matter who is mayor -- Wong gets a commission slot.

The story (by Ted Rohrlich, who appears to be fulltime on city corruption these days, and Ralph Frammolino) is about Wong resigning his unpaid DWP post and his day job at Kaiser after being caught using the HMO's staff and funds for political purposes. Kaiser, of course, was shocked to discover what Wong was doing.

Still think Wong didn't know about the $100 limit for gifts -- or that Kaiser didn't know exactly what he was up to? Veteran political consultant Harvey Englander, in the LAT story:

"He's Kaiser's guy who hands out the money...I think he is someone council members can go to when they're seeking money for charities and projects in their districts and he's willing to step up and write the checks."

Related in today's Daily News: Ethics Commission Endorses Ban on Fund Raising by Commissioners