A California congressman has been targeted by a serial intruder at his Simi Valley home.
Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., sought a restraining order against the stranger after a series of threatening incidents targeting him and his wife, Janice, who serves as his campaign manager.
But the intruder was undeterred and returned. Neither the lawmaker nor his spouse have been harmed.
Now, Gallegly has gotten permission from the Federal Election Commission to use campaign funds to improve security at his home.
The commission ruled last week that paying for the security improvements with campaign funds is not personal use of the money and is permissible under federal law.
Gallegly, who was elected to a 12th term last November, had sought an advisory opinion from the commission.
According to documents submitted to the commission, the incidents started on Oct. 23, 2008 -- 12 days before the election -- when a man approached Janice Gallegly at their home and claimed to be a gardener looking for work. Janice Gallegly said she didn't have any work and asked him to leave the property.
Four days later, Janice Gallegly found a hand-addressed, unstamped letter in the house mailbox that had been signed by the same man who had approached her earlier.
The letter was addressed "To: Elton and republican (sic) party" and demanded that the man be allowed to stay at the Gallegly residence "or anywhere filled with republicans (sic) for a guaranteed win of office."
Janice Gallegly felt threatened and called the police, who tracked down the man and asked him to not to contact the Galleglys or go to their house.
On Nov. 7, a neighbor spotted the man on the congressman's property a third time and called 911. Janice Gallegly subsequently obtained a restraining order against the individual.
The man violated the terms of the restraining order by entering their property yet again. Janice Gallegly called the police, who arrived and found the man hiding in the bushes near the front door of the Gallegly's home in the early morning hours before daylight.
The man was arrested, convicted of violating the restraining order and served 30 days in jail before he was released on probation. After his release, the man violated the terms of his probation and was arrested again. A judge set his bail at $100,000, citing the threat to Gallegly and his wife.
The man is not named in the documents submitted to the election commission. But county court records identify him as Raul Gonzalez.
Elton Gallegly reported the incidents to U.S. Capitol Police, who recommended various improvements to his home security system. Elton Gallegly told the election commission the security upgrades are estimated to cost between $6,000 and $7,500, will not involve any structural improvements and aren't intended to increase the value of the property.
The commission had never ruled on whether campaign funds could be used for a home security system.
However, the panel decided last Thursday that Elton Gallegly's request would be a permissible use of the money because the security improvements had been recommended by Capitol Police and because the threats would not have occurred had Gallegly not been a member of Congress.
(Contact Michael Collins of the Ventura County Star in California at collinsm(at)shns.com.)
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