The state Judicial Qualifications Commission charged Broward Circuit Judge Ernest Kollra with ethics violations Friday for telling a crowd that he had received a Democratic group’s endorsement and telling the Sun Sentinel editorial board he was a registered Republican — all in a nonpartisan race.

The JQC said Kollra attended a judicial candidate forum last June, which was promoted as an endorsement event for the Dolphin Democrats political organization. The group later endorsed Kollra, who shared this fact in a speech at another forum led by the Hills Democratic Club.

Kollra told JQC investigators that as soon as he left the stage, another judicial candidate pointed out that he “probably shouldn’t have said that,” and Kollra agreed in hindsight.

Click here to read the JQC charges

With the editorial board, Kollra realized his mistake soon after he made it when his opponent Alan B. Schneider opted not to disclose his party affiliation. Though that detail wasn’t published, Canons 7C and 7D of the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct prohibit judges from taking partisan stances.

JQC attorney Alex Williams declined to comment on the case.

Kollra and his attorney, Kevin Tynan of Richardson & Tynan in Tamarac, did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.