Villaraigosa, free tickets, wrist-slapping fines and lots of slime

So the mayor fesses up to his use of free seats for the Lakers, Oscars, and a bunch of other hot-ticket events. He says it was all a misunderstanding and gets fined $42,000. Now if this happened to you or me, we'd grimace a little, take out our checkbook, and pay the man, right? But in the world of Antonio, there are no checkbooks, at least not the ones with his name at the top. The mayor, you see, has formed several legal defense funds in connection with the scandal, according to CityWatch's Jack Humphreville.

As we all know, lobbyists, lobbying firms, and MTA contractors are unable to make donations. However, as is blatantly evident in the solicitation letter below, our ethically challenged Mayor and his cronies have no shame. They are asking the lobbying and contractor communities to be "bundlers" by raising funds from "other sources."

Here's a portion of the letter that Humphreville says is being sent out:

We opened legal defense funds on behalf of the Mayor to pay the penalties and his legal bills. Of course, we cannot accept donations from lobbyists or lobbying firms registered with the City, or from MTA contractors. But I was hoping that you might help us raise funds from other sources. The maximum contribution for an individual or entity is $4,000 (that breaks down to $3,000 for the legal defense funds and $1,000 for the Mayor's "Officeholder Account.") A couple with a joint account can double that an amount if both people sign the form. Here's the hard part: we need to raise the $42,000 by the end of the week. Contribution forms and additional information are attached. Thank you and all the best. Let's talk soon.

The slime is clearly out of control.