California Supreme Court issued the following announcement on Feb. 23.
A state Supreme Court committee issued an advisory opinion explaining when a judge may accept campaign contributions from a political action committee when the contribution includes funds from another political action committee organized and funded by court employees.
In CJEO Expedited Opinion 2021-040, the Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions (CJEO) notes judges are ethically prohibited from soliciting campaign contributions from court employees, either directly or indirectly through affiliated entities such as an employee political action committee.
CJEO also cautions that judges are not permitted to use any form of coercion to pressure employees or affiliated entities to contribute to judicial campaigns.
CJEO concludes that in the absence of such improper solicitation or coercion, a judge may accept a campaign contribution from a political action committee that includes contributions from another political action committee organized and funded by court employees.
Although judges are allowed to accept campaign contributions from political action committees in many circumstances, when contributions originate from donations by individuals such as court reporters, clerks and others employed by the judicial branch, judges need to be particularly careful to ensure there is no violation of the absolute prohibitions against solicitation or coercion of court employees,” said committee member Commissioner Belinda A. Handy.
Original source can be found here.