The Los Angeles Times offers this report, which begins: “Last year’s Los Angeles city election set a record for independent expenditures by unions, corporations and individuals, for a total of $4.9 million spent outside the city’s system of campaign finance limits, according to a study released Tuesday. Organized labor accounted for 86% of the independent spending, including nearly $640,000 by the California Teacher’s Assn. to support then-City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa for mayor, the city Ethics Commission review found. And 96% of the independent expenditures occurred 30 days or less before the election.” You can also read the commission’s report and press release.