Federal judge in Utah donated to Obama campaign
The Associated PressThe chief federal judge in Utah donated money to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama but says she was unaware that doing so violated a judicial ethics rule.
U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell didn't know about the rule prohibiting federal judges from making political donations, she said in a statement released through her law clerk.
Campbell said she believed that she was prohibited only from participating in political campaigns.
"I regret that my donations caused an appearance of impropriety," she said.
Federal Election Commission filings show Campbell contributed $100 to the Obama campaign in August 2007, but The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that Campbell had given a total of $300 to the campaign.
Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told The Associated Press on Friday that it plans to return the money.
It was not immediately known whether Campbell would be reprimanded.