EDITORIAL ANOTHER FALL GUY FORMER L.A. COMMISSIONER NAILED AGAIN, WHILE THE WORST CORRUPTION STILL GOES UNPUNISHED.

LEST we forget, there is still an investigation going on into alleged public corruption at Los Angeles City Hall.

It's hard to tell, given the lack of activity since District Attorney Steve Cooley first filed 20 charges against Leland Wong, a longtime city commissioner under three mayors and big-time political player, last August. The charges included allegations of bribes to influence city policy and embezzling money from his employer.

Last week, Cooley filed a new felony charge against Wong alleging conflict of interest in connection with a vote on a concession contract for W.H. Smith at Los Angeles International Airport while Wong was an airport commissioner under former Mayor James Hahn. Wong pleaded not guilty to this new charge as well as the other 20.

With nothing more to show for the investigation except Wong and some public-relations executives, it's clear that the real culprits in City Hall's corruption have eluded the law, that they will never be held accountable.

Still, it doesn't hurt for the public to be reminded periodically of how things work at City Hall, and this new charge does serve that purpose.

The pay-to-play atmosphere that so visibly clouded former Mayor James Hahn's administration still flourishes at City Hall.

Law enforcement may not be capable of proving criminality, but that doesn't change the fact that City Hall still does business the old-fashioned L.A. way: Insiders first, the public second.