Subject: POLITICO Influence: PI EXCLUSIVE: Uncovering the 'astroturf' firm behind the CFPB attack ads — Sasse forms fundraising vehicle — Sommers on carried interest — Collins repping Singer-Icahn-Loeb coalition — Cut-and-paste testimony goof
From: POLITICO Influence <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 12:10:18 -0600

By Isaac Arnsdorf | 05/19/2016 02:07 PM EDT

With help from Brianna Gurciullo, Mary Lee and Daniel Lippman

EXCLUSIVE ... UNCOVERED: PI is at last able to reveal the force behind "Protect America's Consumers," the secretive group that has already spent more than $130,000 on TV and radio ads attacking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The campaign is being run by Lincoln Strategy Group, a political consulting firm Tempe, Ariz. Its founder, Nathan Sproul, has been linked to several instances of suspected voter fraud and barred from Republican Party contracts. The company also worked with Steve Gates, the only person previously identified with Protect America's Consumers, on the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity's 2009 "astroturf" campaign, when it was busted for sending fake letters to Congress.

At a field hearing on the CFPB's arbitration rule earlier this month in Albuquerque, N.M., a man who identified himself as Chuck Bowman rose to challenge the agency's director, Richard Cordray, on whether the policy would enrich trial lawyers and if he'll renounce support from trial lawyers in a future run for governor or attorney general. The moderator cut him off because the comment forum was not a Q&A. The outburst echoed Protect America's Consumers' talking points, replete with a website posing as Cordray running for office in Ohio.

Outside the event, five women held a banner and handed out fliers, obtained by PI, criticizing Cordray and linking to the fake website. But when these protesters were asked for their affiliation, they said they were day laborers paid to be there, according to Mikki Anaya, the New Mexico director of the Center for Economic Integrity, a community development organization, who attended the meeting. Anaya saw Bowman speak with the protesters as the meeting wrapped up. "It's not authentic at any level," Anaya told PI. "It's an intentional distraction from the true issue."

Another consumer advocate in attendance saw Bowman texting with Dan Centinello, an executive vice president at Lincoln Strategy Group who says he's worked for Mitt Romney, Chris Christie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer. 

Sure enough, a report to be released today by left-wing research group Allied Progress will show that Centinello owns a web address redirecting to Protect America's Consumers. 

Centinello and Sproul didn't answer requests for comment. We still don't know who's paying them to mount the campaign.

HAPPY THURSDAY! PI runs on tips. Ping me at [email-masked].

MAN OF THE HOUR: Nebraska Sen. and rumored conservative white knight Ben Sasse has a new joint fundraising committee made up of his campaign and leadership PAC, Sensible American Solutions Supporting Everyone.

2017 PREVIEW: Mike Sommers, the John Boehner chief of staff turned American Investment Council CEO, piped up to defend the carried interest loophole in a Washington Post letter to the editor. 

BIG MONEY: Billionaire investors Paul Singer, Carl Icahn, Barry Rosenstein, Bill Ackman and Daniel Loeb formed a new lobbying coalition for activist investors called the Council for Investor Rights and Corporate Accountability, or Circa, reports David Benoit for The Wall Street Journal. The council is being advised by Rob Collins, the former National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director now at S-3 Group.

TOP TALKER: How did two witnesses opposing the Medicare Part B proposal on prescription drug costs come up with nearly identical written statements before a House subcommittee hearing? Because the lobbying firm representing both of them goofed, Jeffrey Young scoops for the Huffington Post. Hart Health Strategies President Vicki Hart called it a "clerical error." The firm represents both witnesses: Marcia Boyle, president of the Immune Deficiency Foundation; and Michael Schweitz, a rheumatologist speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Specialty Medicine and the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations. Hart also represents the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Groups
 siding with the Obama administration include AARP, Medicare Rights Center, Aetna and other health insurers, and labor unions including the AFL-CIO.

Hart told PI that in the future her firm will keep an eye out for identical passages when they help prepare witnesses. She also emphasized that the verbatim word was describing the background process, not the witness's experiences. "Who do people think writes testimony?" she said. "I don't think its so unusual for a health care lobbying firm to have health care clients use our assistance. What's the rub? That's our job."

BATTLEGROUND SENATE: Justin LeBlanc of Capitol Strategies co-hosted a fundraising event for former North Carolina state Rep. Deborah Ross, who is challenging Sen. Richard Burr. Spotted at the event were Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), co-hosts EMILY'S List, The American Association for Justice, LPAC and Smart-TD (formerly United transportation Union). Also: Shay Hancock, Marc Numendahl, Tim Lovain, Sarah Gilmore and Katie Dapper of Capitol Strategies, John Isaacs of Council for a Liveable World, Michelle Nawar of Chamber Hill Strategies, Kyle Simpson of Hogan Lovells, David Terbush, Carla Frank and Ron Allen of the DNC.

HAPPENING TODAY: Ohio Gov. John Kasich is back in Washington to say thank you to his Kasich Steering Committee, co-chaired by Bob Rusbuldt and Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio), with a reception at the American Trucking Association. Steering committee members also included Sen. Rob Portman, Rep. Steve Stivers, and former Reps. Tom Davis, Bob Walker, Spencer Bachus, Jim Walsh and Pete Hoekstra. Kasich is also addressing the Business Council before the reception.

ON THE HILL:

-The Addiction Policy Forum brought 129 families who have lost loved ones to drug addiction to advocate for the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, attend a hearing before the House Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic and meet with their members of Congress. (h/t VOX Global)

- More than 300 Urban League leaders are meeting with their congressional leaders this week after Vice President Joe Biden's address this morning. Topics include voting rights, sentencing reform, the Every Student Succeeds Act, economic development and access to health care. 

SHOE-LEATHER LOBBYING: The Footwear Distributors and Retailers Association and nearly three dozen of its members are lobbying for the TPP, reports Vicki Needham for The Hill. 

STEAM SCREEN: The American E-Liquids Manufacturing Standards Association has hired the FGA Group for lobbying help on tobacco issues, reports Jon Gingerich for O'Dwyer's. The $2.5 billion industry is in turmoil after the FDA announced all "vaping" products must be approved by the agency before being sold, which industry experts say will shut down many small businesses due to the expensive approval process. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) introduced a bill to allow these products to remain on the market before being grandfathered in. 

SPOTTED at the CTIA Wireless Foundation Honors: award winners House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.); Reps. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.); Lawrence Strickling, assistant secretary for communications and information, Department of Commerce; Meredith Attwell Baker, president & CEO, CTIA and president, CTIA Wireless Foundation; Glenn Lurie, president & CEO, AT&T Mobility; Bret Comolli, chairman, Asurion; Jeff Miller, corporate vice president, global sales, Motorola Mobility; Mike Finley, president, North America and Australia, Qualcomm; John Stratton, EVP and president, operations, Verizon; Chris Salemme of CTIA;
 Travis LeBlanc, FCC; Joey Wender from Sen. Ed Markey's (D-Mass.) office; John Godfrey, Scott Thompson, Steve Merlis and Megan Pollock from Samsung; Lauren Belive, Lyft; Mark Rubin, TracFone; Marie Sylla, T-Mobile; Grant Seiffert of TIA; Shawn Chang, Wiley Rein.

- Women in Government Relations celebrated their 41st Spring Reception at The Willard last night with more 450 people including Reps. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Meredith Shue (WGR president) of Deloitte, Misty McGowen of American Petroleum Institute, Mallika Vastare of The Furman Group, Darah Franklin of Google, Suzanne Swink of BP, Katie Schubert (incoming president) of CRD Associates, Kristine Blackwood, Lee-Ann Peterson, Judy Schneider, Ann Davison, Katie Schubert and Michelle Sara King.

- The Campaign to Fix the Debt honored more than 40 members of Congress at Charlie Palmer. Spotted: debt crusader Maya MacGuineas, car czar Steve Rattner, former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

- At the Options Clearing Corporation's reception in the House Agriculture Committee room last night: Craig Donohue, executive chairman of OCC; Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.), Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio), Ed Royce (R-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.), Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.); Brenden Weiss of Intercontinental Exchange, Lita Frazier and Sharon Stanciel of the Chicago Board Option Exchange, JJ Kinahan of TD Ameritrade, Eric Chern of Chicago Trading Company, Joe Corcoran and Jim Hall of OCC; Jeff Forbes, Jeff Strunk, Jay Driscoll, Ryan Welch, Jeff Sadosky, Frank Steinberg and Derrick White of Forbes-Tate;
 David Stern with Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.), Peter Freeman with Royce, Kelli Briggs and Whitney Daffner with Tiberi, Robert Edmonson with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Brett Quick with Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).

- Former Illinois Rep. Melissa Bean and now Midwest chair of JP Morgan hosted a 5th annual reunion of her D.C. congressional staff last night at Fiola. Bean Team alumni SPOTTED include Peck Madigan Jones's John Michael Gonzalez, Crossroads Strategies' Elizabeth Allyson Hart, New Dem Caucus Executive Director JD Grom, Hardball Producer Michael LaRosa, TIAA's Sam Hodas, Senate Finance Committee's Elizabeth Jurinka and Debbie Wasserman Schultz's Meredith Swann. 

- LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez, Davis Love III and Steve Stricker joined the PGA Tour, PGA, USGA and hundreds of golf course owners, superintendents, builders, pros and golf club manufacturers Wednesday on Capitol Hill to celebrate National Golf Day. We Are Golf is represented by Forbes-Tate.

REMEMBERING ED HILL: Edward A. Hill, 45, husband of Jessica Zufolo, died on May 1 of esophageal cancer. He worked for Sen. Chris Murphy's (D-Conn.) first congressional campaign and was a senior legislative aide for Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas). Most recently, Hill was a lobbyist for Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. NYT obituary and message from Murphy.

NEW PAC REGISTRATIONS:
Sasse Leadership Committee
Digital Broadband Action Committee (Non-Qualified Non-Party, Unauthorized)
Kinetic Concepts Incorporated Political Action Committee (KCI PAC) (Non-Qualified Non-Party, Lobbyist/Registrant PAC)
The National HBCU Voter Mobilization Campaign (Non-Qualified Non-Party, Unauthorized)
True Blue Florida (Independent Expenditure-Only Committee, Unauthorized) 

NEW LOBBYING REGISTRATIONS:
Alpine Group, Inc.: Bose Corporation
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC: Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
CGCN Group, LLC (formerly known as Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen, LLC): Coalition for Patient Vision Care Safety
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Cypress Advocacy, LLC [on behalf of COFINA Seniors Coalition (informal coalition)]
Cypress Advocacy, LLC: The Turkish Institute for Progress
Franklin Square Group, LLC: King
Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough: Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System
Ogilvy Government Relations: US Justice Action Network
Pinnacle Engineering and Management Solutions: Virgin Galactic
Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company: Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company

NEW LOBBYING TERMINATIONS:
The Russell Group, Inc.: National Pork Producers Council

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