‘Monuments to me’: How politicians use donors’ leftover 'zombie' cash to buy themselves legacies
Like other such buildings dedicated to ex-presidents, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., contains a replica of the Oval Office, complete with photos, mementos and flags placed carefully to depict what it looked like when the actor-turned-politician was the most powerful man in the world.
Five miles away, California Lutheran University had a replica office, too. But this replica was designed — “within an eighth of an inch” — to depict the Capitol Hill haunt of former Rep. Elton Gallegly.
If Gallegly’s name isn’t familiar, that’s understandable. The California Republican left Congress more than a decade ago, having decided against seeking re-election instead of running in what would’ve been a highly competitive race for a newly redistricted congressional seat. ...
