It’s easy to see why Palo Alto physicist Charles Munger Jr. got several standing ovations at this month’s California Republican Party convention. After tossing more than $1.5 million into state GOP operations this year and more than $50 million on ballot measures over the past decade, the bow-tie-wearing son of a billionaire is a dominant force in reviving the state party and in reshaping California politics.
Now he’s the dominant character in a federal lawsuit that is exposing a major split among California Republicans over the future of the party and Munger’s role in it.