A CQ Roll Call investigation has found that people appointed to federal judgeships gave thousands of individual contributions over the last decade to lawmakers before — and in some cases after — their confirmations. An outsized proportion of the money went to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel that must approve all nominees before they get a vote on the Senate floor. This practice could contribute to further politicization of the courts and raise questions about judges’ conflicts of interest. CQ Roll Call’s investigative team comes on the show to discuss their latest project. 

Show Notes:

• What does Senator Bernie Sanders’ style in Congress tell us about him? Plus: The coronavirus
• Trump packs the courts
• Congress and the coronavirus
• Unchecked power