34N22? NNH? Super PACs with cryptic names raise transparency concerns

Super PACs with cryptic names like 34N22 and NNH are making it hard for constituents to determine where the groups' money is coming from and where it goes, experts say.

With the critical 2022 midterm election looming, elections experts say the already opaque world of campaign fundraising is becoming even more murky, as a number of political groups have started registering under cryptic and hard-to-trace names.

"When super PACs name themselves using simply an assortment of letters and numbers, it's harder for people to understand the super PAC's ideological leanings without additional digging," said Michael Beckel, research director with bipartisan political reform group Issue One.

"Few people will take the time to research the name of a super PAC after seeing its ads -- if they can ever remember the right mix of letters and numbers the super PAC is using as its name," Beckel said.

One recent example is the fundraising organization known as "34N22." Surfacing two months ago, the cryptically named group registered with the Federal Election Commission as a super PAC, also known as an independent expenditure-only political action committee, which can accept an unlimited amount money from donors and spend an unlimited amount to support candidates -- as long as it's independent from the candidates themselves. Regular PACs, in contrast, are limited by a $5,000 limit per year per donor, and can make direct contributions to candidates up to $5,000 per candidate.