May an Arkansas judicial candidate’s campaign committee accept contributions from a political party or its PAC?

Plain-English summary

A candidate for judicial office asked whether a campaign contribution from a partisan political organization or that organization's PAC could be accepted.

The Committee answered that a campaign committee working for the candidate may accept such a contribution. It distinguished a contribution to the committee from an endorsement by a political organization under Rule 4.2(B)(5). The opinion also pointed to Rule 4.4, which limits campaign committee contributions to those permitted by state law.

The opinion separately noted Rule 4.1(A)'s restrictions on identifying as a political organization's candidate, seeking or using its endorsement, and personally soliciting or accepting contributions outside an authorized campaign committee.

In practice

The opinion addresses contributions received by the candidate's campaign committee. It does not authorize the candidate personally to accept them or dispense with state-law limits.

Common questions

Q: May the candidate’s committee accept a partisan party or party PAC contribution?

A: Yes, to the extent state law permits the contribution. The Committee said that receipt by the campaign committee is not an endorsement under the cited rule.

Q: May the candidate personally solicit or accept the contribution?

A: The opinion cites Rule 4.1(A)(8)'s restriction on personal solicitation and acceptance outside an authorized campaign committee.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applies Arkansas Canon 4 and Rules 4.1(A), 4.2(B)(5), and 4.4 to a judicial campaign committee's receipt of contributions from a partisan political organization or its PAC.

Citations and references

Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct: Canon 4; Rules 4.1(A), 4.2(B)(5), and 4.4.

See also

No sibling opinions yet indexed.

Source

• Landing page: Arkansas JEAC Opinion 2015-03
• Original PDF: Official opinion
• Archived official PDF: Reviewable 2026 capture

Original opinion text

Best-effort transcription from a scanned PDF. Minor errors may remain; the linked PDF is authoritative.

Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee

Hon. Edwin Alderson
Municipal Judge Retired

Prof. Howard W. Brill

Hon. John Cole
Circuit Judge Retired

January 19, 2016

Joe Serebrov, Candidate
Attorney at Law

213 West 7th Street
Sheridan, AR 72150

RE: JEAC Opinion #2015-03
Dear Candidate Serebrov:

The Judicial Discipline & Disability Commission received your request of November 30, 2015 for a JEAC Advisory Opinion. Your question to the Committee is:

"May a candidate for judicial office accept a campaign contribution from either a partisan political organization or a PAC of a partisan political organization?"

Cannon 4 of the Arkansas Code of Judicial Conduct states "A JUDGE OR CANDIDATE FOR JUDICIAL OFFICE SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN POLITICAL OR CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE INDEPENDENCE, INTEGRITY, OR IMPARTIALITY OF THE JUDICIARY."

Rule 4.1 (A) Except as permitted ... a judge or judicial candidate shall not. . . (6) publically identify himself or herself as a candidate of a political organization; (7) seek, accept, or use endorsements from a political organization; (8) personally solicit or accept campaign contributions other than through a campaign committee authorized by Rule 4.4...

Rule 4.4 allows campaign committees to solicit and accept only such campaign contributions as are permitted by state law. The comment under Rule 4.4 provides the candidate should, as much as possible, not be aware of those who have contributed to the campaign.

Tower Building * 323 Center Street « Suite 1060 «+ Little Rock, AR 72201 © (501) 682-1050 After considering the above as applied to your question, it is the opinion of JEAC that the committee working on behalf of a candidate seeking judicial office may accept a contribution from partisan political organizations or a PACs of such organizations. The activity is not an endorsement as described in Rule 4.2 (B) (5) and does not constitute any other prohibited conduct.

Cordially,

John Cole
For the Committee