TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KOH’-bahk) is brushing off criticism over his forming his own political action committee.

Kobach said Monday that legislators are being hypocritical when they say it’s inappropriate for the state’s chief elections official to get involved in partisan election campaigns through a PAC.

Records of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission show that Kobach, a Republican, created the PAC – called Prairie Fire – on Feb. 15, with himself as its chairman.

State Sen. John Vratil, a Leawood Republican, said Kobach is supposed to be an unbiased elections official. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat, said creating a PAC is highly inappropriate.

But Kobach said both are criticizing him because he’s a conservative, and that they haven’t said anything about political activities of past secretaries of state.