Oklahoma Republicans targeted by colleague, dark money

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – When voters booted a dozen Oklahoma Republican incumbents from office in this year’s party primaries, the common thinking was that educators angry about classroom funding were behind the ousters.
But a top GOP House leader in Oklahoma acknowledges he actively participated in a plan to take down several members of his own caucus.
Republican Rep. Chris Kannady of Oklahoma City says he felt provoked after several GOP hardliners threatened to roll back a GOP-backed tax hike and recruit more conservative challengers.
Meanwhile, a dark-money federal super PAC based spent nearly $750,000 launching a parallel attack against several of the same hardline Republicans.
The Conservative Alliance PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited sums of money, targeted several House Republicans with mailers, radio ads and other attack ads.