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In recent years, some judicial elections have begun to look just like political campaigns, complete with attack ads, political action committees, and millions of dollars in fundraising for candidates. The financial involvement of special-interest groups in state Supreme Court races across the country has blurred the boundaries between money and politics and justice, alarming citizens and ethicists alike.

After all, such entanglement can portend corruption once judges reach the bench. But it's not the only recipe for conflict in the courtroom, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan, investigative news organization.

When judges have a conflict of interest in a given case, they should recuse themselves. But sometimes that doesn't happen.

The personal finances of the 335 judges presiding in the states' highest courts, often shrouded in poor disclosure requirements, may influence rulings, CPI found, whether the justices know it or not. Appeals to decisions from a lower court to the U.S. Supreme Court are rare, unless there's a question of constitutional law.

Using input from judicial-ethics experts, CPI built a report card evaluating states' financial-reporting requirements for state Supreme Court judges (methodology here). The grading system was based on a slightly tougher version of disclosure requirements for federal judges, which received a B.