General Discussion

But at least they recognized that using government phones and phone lines to make campaign calls was forbidden, even if they didn't recognize using employees to make those calls was also forbidden.

The judge I clerked for (old school Republican) never once mentioned his campaign for his next term during office hours. All campaigning was done from completely off-site and during hours the court was closed. As it had been done by all judges, regardless of party, for as long as anyone could remember.

I can't even imagine the judge who installed a second private phone line thinking it was OK to make a campaign commercial from his government office.