Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's acceptance of free tickets is now being investigated by the state's Fair Political Practices Commission.
"Due to the unique nexus of state and local laws, the FPPC was asked to open an investigation into allegations that Mayor Villaraigosa may have received reportable gifts and that some of these may exceed gift limits," the Commission's executive director, Roman Porter, told the Los Angeles Times.
Villaraigosa has been under fire for accepting free tickets to 85 entertainment and sporting events. He has been seen sitting courtside at Lakers games at Staples Center and has attended Dodger games at the owner's box in Dodger Stadium. He also attended the Academy Awards, Grammys, Emmys and BET Awards.
He insists he has done nothing wrong.
"The mayor attends events each year to promote Los Angeles as a world-class business, cultural and entertainment destination -- including the Academy, Grammy and Emmy awards ceremonies -- which is an important duty of the chief executive of the nation's second-largest city," the mayor's spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton told the Times.
The mayor's office has been complying with probes from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and the L.A. Ethics Commission. Last week, Villaraigosa released records documenting the events.
"The record-keeping could've been better," Villaraigosa's legal counsel, Brian Currey, conceded. "We don't have a contemporaneous log of exactly who provided each of the tickets."
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Villaraigosa learned of the FPPC probe on Monday.
