Iowa Code. Jud. Cond. 51:1.3
A judge shall not abuse the prestige of judicial office to advance the personal or economic interests* of the judge or others, or allow others to do so.
Iowa. Code. Jud. Cond. 51:1.3
Comment
[1] It is improper for a judge to use or attempt to use his or her position to gain personal advantage or deferential treatment of any kind. For example, it would be improper for a judge to allude to his or her judicial status to gain favorable treatment in encounters with traffic officials. Similarly, a judge must not use judicial letterhead to gain an advantage in conducting his or her personal business.
[2] A judge may provide a reference or recommendation for an individual based upon the judge's personal knowledge. The judge may use official letterhead for such reference or recommendation. Except as provided in comment 3 or as a member of a nominating commission under Iowa Code chapter 46, a judge should not provide a reference or recommendation for a person seeking appointment to judicial office. This rule does not prohibit an applicant from listing a judge as a reference when seeking appointment to judicial office.
[3] Judges may participate in the process of judicial selection by cooperating with appointing authorities and screening committees and by responding to specific inquiries from such entities concerning the professional qualifications of a person being considered for judicial office.
[4] Special considerations arise when judges write or contribute to publications of for-profit entities, whether related or unrelated to the law. A judge should not permit anyone associated with the publication of such materials to exploit the judge's office in a manner that violates this rule or other applicable law. In contracts for publication of a judge's writing, the judge should retain sufficient control over the advertising to avoid such exploitation.