The Louisiana Senate race has turned into an old-timey Southern “dirty tricks” race involving prostitutes, swamps, murder, and sass. The contest features 24 candidates from all parties lumped together in a “jungle” primary to be held on Election Day. Unless one candidate takes a majority, as appears unlikely in a 24-candidate field, the next senator from Louisiana will be determined in a December runoff between the top two primary vote-getters.

The nationally most well-known of the 24 candidates is Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, the subject of considerable waffling from the Trump-Pence campaign. Also on the ballot is Rep. John Fleming, who as we speak is trying to impeach the IRS commissioner to enhance his own political standing.The two leading Republican candidates in the mix, though, are state treasurer John Kennedy and Rep. Charles Boustany, in that order.

The bad news for Boustany, aside from how he was already trailing Kennedy, is that a new book comes out Tuesday alleging that he was a client of prostitutes who were later murdered. In Murder in the Bayou, “investigative journalist Ethan Brown cites three anonymous sources claiming Republican Rep. Charles Boustany was a ‘client’ of some of the murdered sex workers known as the ‘Jeff Davis 8,’ ” BuzzFeed reported last week. “The book also reveals that the motel where some of the victims did their sex work was run by Martin Guillory, a field representative for Boustany who goes by the nickname ‘Big G.’ ” The Boustany campaign categorically denied the allegations, saying “these allegations are completely false and don’t even deserve a response” in its official response.

The Associated Press reported that Boustany’s wife, Bridget, sent an email to supporters Monday calling the allegations “lies” and describing her husband as “a good man, a loving husband, and an incredible father to our two children.” She also suggested that “Charles’ opponents have resorted to lies about him.”

Here’s where things get sassy. The Kennedy campaign responded by issuing an all-timer in the political art of weaponizing denial.

Earlier today, the Boustany campaign sent out an email alleging that my campaign and other candidates’ campaigns for U.S. Senate played a role in the shocking story alleging illegal behavior from Congressman Boustany and his staff. I want to be very clear that my campaign played absolutely no role in creating this story alleging Congressman Boustany’s sexual relationships with prostitutes that were later murdered, his staff’s alleged involvement in running the bar and hotel where this illicit behavior took place or publishing the book Murder in the Bayou written by Ethan Brown and published by Simon and Schuster.

“My wife, Becky, and I are keeping the Congressman, Mrs. Boustany and their children in our prayers as they deal with this as a family,” this cold-ass statement concluded.

Louisiana’s Senate seat is open because Sen. David Vitter, who used to have sex with prostitutes, declined to run for re-election after losing his gubernatorial bid in 2015.