Post University Federal Judges Ruling Discussion

I’m working on a criminal justice multi-part question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

You are a federal judge and are about to start a federal racketeering trial that is quite complicated. Prosecutors allege that certain lobbyists funneled money into political campaigns by “washing” it through individual employees of a couple of large corporations. Still, the evidence seems equivocal—at least what you’ve seen so far. You get a call from one of your state’s U.S. senators (who is not implicated in the case, although members of his party are), and the conversation is innocuous and pleasant enough until the senator brings up the case and jocularly pressures you to agree with him that it is a “tempest in a teapot.” Then he mentions that a higher, appellate-level judgeship will be opening soon and that he is sure you would like his support on it. The message is not subtle. What would you do?