The gift that keeps giving

Mayor Hahn's connection with Fleishman-Hillard continues to cost him. Today, it's headlines about candidate Antonio Villaraigosa asking the city Ethics Commission to look into the mayor's role in the public relations firm billing the city for work done on a campaign fundraiser. The candidate was Nick Pacheco, then a councilman running—with Hahn's support—against Villaraigosa. Copley's David Zahniser reported yesterday in the Daily Breeze that Fleishman records in the hands of prosecutors show the city DWP paid the tab for the political work. In today's story, Fleishman regional president Richard Klein admits the gist, saying that "a current or former employee of our L.A. office appears to have improperly manipulated this billing to the DWP." The Breeze also found that the Port of Los Angeles paid for Fleishman staffers to research the names of contributors to the anti-secession campaign in 2002. Stories today in the Breeze, Times and Daily News.

Also: Following up on the Times' King/Drew series, columnist Steve Lopez says the elected members of the county Board of Supervisors have too much power. And, Hahn calls in sick to VICA event.