Congressional panel lambasts FEC commissioners - Brick and mortars fight back - Hellman, Simmons leaving ITI - Groups spend big cash supporting Cain, panning Obama Presented by Philip Morris International

CONGRESSIONAL PANEL LAMBASTES FEC COMMISSIONERS: The FEC is itself failing at transparency, members of the Committee on House Administration told the six commissioners today in a rare oversight hearing — then ordered them to make public long-undisclosed enforcement manual and penalty procedures or face a congressional subpoena.

“Your unwillingness to release these documents contradicts and ultimately hinders your agency’s core mission. … It’s unacceptable and it needs to change,” Subcommittee on Elections Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) scolded. “How can we trust an agency to enforce disclosure when it lacks disclosure?” Said Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.): “We let murderers know what they’re facing … shouldn’t we let prospective members of Congress know what they’re facing?” Commissioners generally agreed that they can do better to become more transparent, but struggled to explain why some of their procedures today lack the kind of transparency committee members demanded.


Harper, along with other members of the committee, also panned the FEC commissioners for a variety of other perceived problems, from regularly deadlocking 3-3 on key votes before the commission to failing to adequately create rules and regulations that complement the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizen United v. Federal Election Commission, which gave corporations, unions and special interests greater ability to directly engage in political elections. Read Dave’s full story from the hearing here: http://politi.co/tQRBQT

BRICK AND MORTARS FIGHT BACK: Supercommittee co-chairs Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) got an earful from a large coalition of supporters of changing internet tax laws to require companies like Amazon and eBay to pay state sales tax. More than 20 trade associations including the American Veterinary Medical Association, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association and the Real Estate Roundtable co-signed a letter Wednesday which states that there is about $23 billion in uncollected state sales tax. The groups also got another 50 state trade associations and more than 60 companies to sign onto the letter. Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gap, Lowes, JC Penney, Target and Walmart are among the companies signing the letter.

HELLMANN, SIMMONS LEAVING ITI: The Information Technology Industry Council’s top lobbyist, Ralph Hellmann, is leaving the trade association at the end of the year for an undisclosed entrepreneurial venture, ITI CEO Dean Garfield told Jennifer Martinez at POLITICO’s Morning Technology column. Romm notes that this is a huge change, as Hellmann spent about 10 years with the group. Also moving is Ashley Simmons, ITI's communications director, who will depart the association in the coming days to join the David All Group. Simmons tells PI that her first day at the new gig will be Nov. 16.

GOOD THURSDAY AFTERNOON to you, our loyal PI readers, on this 19th anniversary of Carol Moseley Braun becoming the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate and the 54th anniversary of the Soviet Union sending the first dog — Leika — into space. Be sure to celebrate these milestones in a most profound way: by sending us a news tip, hint, fundraiser invitation and the like to [email protected] and [email protected]. Be certain to follow us on Twitter, too, at @ apalmerdc and @ davelevinthal.

And a reminder to get your entries in for PI’s latest contest (full details in Wednesday’s PI: http://politi.co/sVxo2P ) where we ask you to suggest to us your own super PAC, and explain what kind of candidate (or candidates) it would support. Authors of the most creative, nonboring, anti-white bread super PAC name proposals will be featured in Friday’s edition of PI — and win a copy of Timothy Garton Ash’s book “ Facts are Subversive: Political Writing from a Decade Without a Name.” http://bit.ly/uIBgam

Include your name and city as part of your submission, and email them to [email protected] and [email protected]. We’ll take entries until 10 a.m. Friday. Best of luck — and now back to the day’s influence news …

GROUPS SPEND BIG CASH SUPPORTING CAIN, PANNING OBAMA: Conservative super PAC FreedomWorks for America — part of former Sen. Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks organization — spent nearly $72,000 on advertising and related costs during late October to oppose President Barack Obama’s reelection, according to new federal records. Meanwhile, the Draft Herman Cain committee spent nearly $14,000 from late October to early this month in support of Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain. The expenditures included email list rentals, email set-up fees and credit card fees, federal records indicate.

HAGAN’S FUNDRAISING MOMENT OF LEVITY: Ohio state Rep. Bob Hagan raised some eyebrows this week with his Wednesday evening fundraiser. The Democrat’s $100 per person donation event at Vernon’s Café also had categories including: $1 million for “Fat Cat on Wall Street,” $500,000 for “Corporate Boss who doesn’t like Working People” and $100,000 for “Kasich Supporter.” Smaller donor levels included $1,000 for “Unions representing Working Families,” and $500 for “Wealthy People who like me and pay their fair share in taxes” to “$20 for “People who are trying to get a break but the system sucks.” Sounds like he’s almost ready for Washington.

SPEAKING OF HUMOR: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Jerry McEntee certainly has a colorful one. An AFSCME staffer sent out an email blast invitation with McEntee’s head on a superhero body saying “Save the #?&!ing Date” for a party honoring his “lifetime of fighting for working America.” If that’s the invite, it makes one wonder what the Dec. 6 fete will include.

POGO OFFICIAL SPRINGS TO ADVOCACY STARTUP: Paul Thacker, an investigator at watchdog group Project on Government Oversight is leaving to join a startup advocacy organization called United Republican. “I'm starting Dec. 1. We should be up and running by the beginning of the new year,” Thacker wrote this morning to colleagues. “In this new position I’m going to expand into areas beyond science, medicine and the environment. I’ve spent almost a decade on these topics, and it’s going to be hard to leave it behind.”

FROSH SLOW TO PONY UP FOR NRCC: House GOP freshmen — including some of the top fundraisers in the class — aren’t shelling out as much cash to the party as the establishment would like. As of early October, about two-thirds of the class had yet to fully meet the contribution goals set by the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to data obtained by POLITICO. Frosh are often slow to ramp up fundraising and give back to the party, but their sluggishness could hit the NRCC particularly hard now that the rookies make up about one-third of the caucus. Marin Cogan and Robin Bravender have more: http://bit.ly/rB6Csc

CITIZENS UNITED DROPS MONEY BOMB ON OHIO: Citizens United, the conservative political organization best known for the eponymous Supreme Court decision that last year altered the nation’s campaign finance landscape, will on Thursday begin blasting six-figures worth of advertisements throughout Ohio in support of limiting most state workers’ collective bargaining rights. The ads, which are slated to target the Cincinnati market in particular, urge voters next week to support Issue 2, a referendum on killing a collective bargaining-curbing bill passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. John Kasich. Dave has the story here: http://politi.co/vQIUGr

PICKING THEIR WAY THROUGH CONGRESS: The National Association of Music Merchants is leading a delegation of guitar manufacturers to the Hill today to lobby in support of Rep. Jim Cooper’s (D-Tenn.) RELIEF ACT. Leading the march is Leo Coco of Nelson Mullins, while GolinHarris is managing the public affairs outreach. It’s not just Washington insiders backing the effort. Vince Gill and Roseanne Cash are among the celebrity supporters.

NEW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES:

Concerned Hispanics Involved in Legislative Empowerment PAC of Rio Rancho, N.M. — Treasurer: Jean M. Torres-Montoya

Strong America Now Super PAC of Lewisville, Texas — Treasurer: Mike George

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS (firm : client):

Carmen Group Inc.: La Cienega Jefferson Towers LLC

Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates: Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

Ferguson Group: City of Petersburg, Va.

K&L Gates: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries

Monument Strategies: Huawei USA Technologies

Olson Advocacy Group: 1st Alliance Lending

Parry, Romani, Deconcini & Symms: Xinergy Corp.

The Ingram Group / The First Group: National Association of Publicly Traded Partnerships

TwinLogic Strategies: NetCoalition

TwinLogic Strategies: DirecTV Group

Ulman Public Policy & Federal Relations: Progressive Solutions

Ulman Public Policy & Federal Relations: Southeast Woodland Services Inc.

** Have positions to fill at your company? Start with POLITICO Jobs — connecting you to the Beltway's elite talent. Both online and in print, POLITICO Jobs is the essential destination for top political operatives, government relations executives and communications professionals looking to make their next career move. Find Washington's top executives with POLITICO Jobs. Post your job openings today: http://jobs.politico.com **

CORRECTION: A previous version of POLITICO Influence misspelled Dean Garfield's name.

Follow us on Twitter Theodoric Meyer @theodoricmeyer