The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE - The nasty campaign for Louisiana insurance commissioner hit its final stages Friday with the challenger scouring Insurance Department records in hopes of linking the incumbent to criminals who got insurance licenses.

Republican challenger Dan Kyle, former state legislative auditor, said the records - to which he gained access only after suing - would show how many felons have received licenses to sell insurance under the administration of Insurance Commissioner Robert Wooley, a Democrat.

When the search started Thursday, the media were not allowed into a records storage building. Kyle whispered to television crews to "make him push you away."

Wooley called Kyle's behavior "laughable," and said Kyle is getting help from a sex criminal to make charges against Wooley.

Kyle is challenging Wooley in today's runoff in a race that has been rife with personal attacks and court challenges.

Wednesday, Kyle got a court order for Wooley to release records of felons with insurance licenses. Wooley has said most of those licenses were granted by previous commissioners.

Wooley said he got a state law passed two years ago to help force felons getting renewals to identify themselves as such.

Meantime, Wooley claimed Kyle got the idea to review the records from a convicted rapist whom Wooley had denied a license. Wooley claimed to see Kyle and the sex offender "all buddied up" at the Wednesday hearing in which a judge ordered the Insurance Department to turn over the records.

Thursday, Kyle said he never had met the man in question before Wednesday and resented the accusation that he is in collaboration "with a convicted child molester."

"Mr. Wooley and his campaign are liars, absolute and total liars," Kyle said.

Wooley said Kyle's methods and who he is willing to work with raise questions about what he would do as insurance commissioner. "If Dan Kyle's willing to do this to get elected, what the hell do you think he's capable of doing to keep the job?"