Judges, of course, are strictly prohibited from involvement in political activities by Canon 7 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. We have received a number of questions in this area recently, particularly in the wake of the 1993 Hatch Act Amendments, which relaxed the restrictions on partisan political activities by executive branch employees. The Hatch Act does not itself apply to the Judiciary, but the committee considered a similar relaxation of the existing judicial standards to allow judicial employees fuller participation in political affairs. Because of the singular role of the Judiciary, the committee has serious concerns about the need to protect the integrity of the Judiciary from association with partisan politics and from the appearance of partiality and lack of objectivity that could follow, which led us to recommend no relaxation of these provisions. Judicial employees, therefore, should continue to adhere to existing restrictions on involvement in political activities.
Some employees find it difficult to obtain information about ethics requirements.
The compendium's Table of Contents facilitates location of relevant materials. In talking with judges across the country, the committee has noted that many judges' copies of Volume II have not been kept up to date, thus seriously inconveniencing judges when they consult it. Judges and judicial employees who have ethical questions are encouraged to consult these materials for guidance, and employees should also consult with their supervisors. If questions remain, judges and judicial employees may contact their circuit representative on the committee or the committee's counsel in the AO General Counsel's Office for informal guidance, or may request a confidential advisory opinion from the committee itself. The committee's conversations with hundreds of judges leads us to believe that judges are increasingly sensitive to the canons and their ethical obligations.