Gallegly Accused of Lobbying for Developer : Politics: The GOP congressman denies his challenger’s allegations that he has taken a stand on a controversial land swap proposal.

Congressional candidate Sang Korman has accused Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) of lobbying on behalf of a developer who proposed a controversial land swap that would allow construction of 1,152 homes and a tournament golf course in Gallegly’s district.

But Gallegly responded that he has taken no position on the proposed deal and added that it is “far too important to make it a political football.”

Korman is seeking the Republican nomination in the June 5 primary election against Gallegly, who represents the 21st Congressional District, which straddles Ventura and northern Los Angeles counties.

Korman said he opposes the proposed swap, under which Potomac Investment Associates would trade 864 acres of the Jordan Ranch in Ventura County for 59 acres in lower Cheeseboro Canyon owned by the National Park Service. Potomac would also sell the scenic China Flat portion of the ranch to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a state parks agency.

The Maryland-based development firm needs the federal acreage to build a road to the ranch property, which would enable the land to be developed.

Gallegly’s stand on the deal is significant because he sits on the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and its national parks and public lands subcommittee, which oversee the Park Service.

Since 1987, Gallegly has received a total of $4,300 from Potomac, law firms involved in the development and the PGA Tour, which would operate the golf course, according to federal campaign records.

In June, Gallegly and Rep. Robert Lagomarsino (R-Ventura), who also sits on the interior committee, sent a letter to Park Service chief James Ridenour urging an expeditious ruling on the proposal.

Korman charged in a press release that the proposed swap “has Mr. Gallegly’s fingerprints written all over it” and that the developer’s contributions were intended to “grease the wheels” for approval of the deal with federal officials.

But Gallegly said he has taken no position on the swap and is waiting for local planning officials to rule on the matter.

“You will find no place anywhere that I lobbied for this,” he said.

Gallegly said he asked the Park Service to make a quick decision because if the deal falls apart after months or years of discussions, the value of the China Flat acreage may have risen so high that the government would not be able to afford it.

The congressman also said he has “serious questions” about the development, including whether it may disrupt a wildlife migration corridor in the area.