Jumping the news cycle **

Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign filed his contribution report a day early, showing that he has raised $653,255 in the past four weeks. The reports aren't due at the city Ethics Commission until close of business Thursday. Once Hahn files too, we'll know whether the Villaraigosa day-ahead strategy was intended to get an extra cycle of positive free news coverage or dilute a cycle of unfavorable coverage. In any case, it will be interesting to see what happened to both Hahn and Villaraigosa's fundraising prowess after the primary.

* First story: Howard Fine reports in the L.A. Business Journal that Villaraigosa's runoff fundraising pace is down from 2001.

** Thursday stories: In the Times, Hahn consultant Kam Kuwata concedes the mayor likely raised less, but insists he will have enough. Villaraigosa was working San Francisco for money on Wednesday and has fundraising events coming up in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Texas. Much the same in the Daily News.

Also on the LABJ website: DA Steve Cooley's Public Integrity Division today served ten search warrants in the city of Vernon, looking for evidence of "misuse of public funds." That unit has actively gone after corruption in several cities in Los Angeles County (not just the rather large one.)