SPECIAL ELECTION SET. The Hill. “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Tuesday called an Oct. 16 special election to fill the late-Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D) seat, sending voters to the polls just weeks before he faces his own reelection.”

EMAIL SECRETS. Story here. “The Associated Press reported Tuesday that officials at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other departments employed a second email address to separate important internal messages from overflowing their public email accounts.”

TEA TARGETS TESTIFY. News here. “Today, Wetumpka Tea Party leader Becky Gerritson delivered a thumping to the Internal Revenue Service and to politicians in Washington.” Via Althouse.

PAY TO PLAY SETTLEMENT. Story here. “Without admitting or denying wrongdoing, Neil Morrison, 38, accepted what the SEC said was the first industry ban for violating ‘pay-to-play’ rules governing the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market.”

EAC TERMINATION. USAT. “A House committee approved legislation Tuesday to shut down the federal commission set up more than 10 years ago to help states improve their election systems.”

CO: GESSLER HEARING. Story here. “The Colorado Independent Ethics Commission decided Monday to proceed with a hearing Friday on whether Secretary of State Scott Gessler misused office money, including nearly $1,300 to go to Florida last year for a Republican lawyers conference.”

CT: PACKAGE APPROVED. Story here. “Independent political groups that violate Connecticut’s campaign disclosure laws could face bigger fines, but big-time donors would be able to give thousands more to parties and candidates under a bill approved by the Senate early Tuesday.”

UK: LOBBYISTS BANNED. Daily Mail. “More than 80 lobbyists have been suspended from the Palace of Westminster in a dramatic attempt to end the latest sleaze scandal.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.