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By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN

updated 1:15 PM EST, Wed December 3, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Democrats are looking to turn up the heat on Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy as he heads into the final days of his runoff battle with Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu with two ethics complaints focused on his work at Louisiana State University.

Both a Louisiana citizen affiliated with the Louisiana Democratic Party and the American Democracy Legal Fund filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics on Wednesday alleging that Cassidy's work for the university violates multiple ethics rules and guidelines and calling for an investigation.

The ADLF complaint, obtained by CNN, alleges that Cassidy failed to receive required approval from the Ethics Committee to engage in teaching activities from 2011-2014.

Lawmakers are banned from receiving any "honoraria" meaning a payment for an appearance, speech or article while serving in office, but teaching activities are exempt from that ban. The complaint against Cassidy also argues that his work for LSU did not meet the requirements to be considered teaching work, and thus wasn't exempt from the ban.

Instead, it argues, his work amounts essentially to "medical services," and so the stipend he received from LSU for his teaching services should be considered compensation in violation of Ethics rules. That stipend was also, the complaint alleges, inappropriately left off of his personal disclosure forms.

And it also argues that Cassidy received compensation from LSU for months when he didn't put in any hours there, meaning the compensation constitutes a gift in excess of the $100 limit lawmakers must adhere to.

The LDP complaint outlines similar concerns.

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Democrats file ethics complaints against Cassidy in Congress