An investigation by ProPublica has revealed that many federal judges and state supreme court justices across the United States fail to recuse themselves or disclose potential conflicts of interest when their immediate family members have financial ties to cases before them. The examination covered more than 1,200 judges and found numerous instances of judges not recusing themselves despite potential appearances of impropriety. Federal law mandates recusal if a close relative has an interest in the case's outcome or if the judge's impartiality might reasonably be questioned. However, the guidelines are ambiguous, and adherence is inconsistent. One notable instance involves a former Alaska judge who had potential conflicts in 23 cases. The investigation was released Tuesday.