Google is facing two complaints filed in Australia and the U.S. by the Australian Sex Party, an upstart political party that was denied running AdWords for a July political campaign until a day before the election.

The Sex Party alleges Google caused it to receive fewer votes and donations that it would have received if it could have used AdWords, which appear in Google search results and on Gmail, said Fiona Patten, president of the Sex Party.

Patten filed letters of complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Sept. 5 and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Sept. 6.

The DOJ complaint alleges Google violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by unlawfully interfering in a state election. The ACCC complaint alleges unlawful interference in violation of Australia's Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

The Australian Sex Party this morning lodged formal complaints against Google with the US Department of Justice and the Australian competition watchdog, accusing the search giant of corrupt practices and unlawfully interfering with the conduct of a recent Victorian byelection.

The Sex Party says Google refused to run its advertisements in the lead-up to the July 12 byelection for the state seat of Melbourne.

Its ads were also refused during the last federal election.

Emails seen by Fairfax show Facebook also rejected Sex Party ads during the recent City of Sydney Council elections. Facebook accused the party of promoting “adult products or services”.

In a letter to the fraud section of the US Department of Justice seen by Fairfax, Australian Sex Party president Fiona Patten accuses Google of “unlawful interference in the conduct of a state election in Victoria” and having "corrupt intent".

She says Google treated the Sex Party differently to other political parties and refused to budge when it was pointed out that Google had incorrectly applied its own policies.