The last time I looked in, the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission was functioning rather well as the city government’s traffic officer. Not its highway patrolman nor its robbery-homicide detective: It’s not there to handle wild chases or major felony cases. That’s what the D.A.’s Office and the FBI are there for — supposedly.But the CEC, as it’s locally known, continues diligently to police the routine, you-couldn’t-quite-call-it-corruption misbehavior of elected officials and those who seek to influence them. Such as when a council candidate (usually an incumbent) collects too many contributions in amounts above the $500 legal limit. Or improperly uses special accounts available to “officeholders” to serve campaign purposes.
Source: Role Reversal | L.A. Weekly