Judges and Judiciary,
Ethics/Professional Responsibility
May 8, 2026
No cap on judicial campaign donations, ethics panel says
Judges may contribute unlimited amounts to judicial campaigns under state law, the Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions said, though it warned judicial officers against creating bias concerns or undermining public confidence in courts.
California judges and justices face no statewide limits on how much they may contribute to judicial election campaigns, but they must avoid the appearance of bias or impropriety, the judicial ethics advisory committee created by the Supreme Court said Thursday.
The Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions warned, however, that campaign contributions may trigger mandatory disqualification obligations in future proceedings.
Under California law, trial judges are disqualified f...
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