An investigative report of campaign contributions by President George W. Bush’s judicial nominees showed that 45 appointees to appellate and district courts have made political donations while under official consideration for judgeships.
Although currently no ethical rules prohibit campaign contributions by candidates to the federal bench, proposed changes to the American Bar Association’s Model Code of Judicial Conduct would ban the practice. Currently, federal judges are prohibited from making political contributions only after they are confirmed to the bench.
