HARRISBURG — The chief counsel for the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board stepped aside Wednesday from an investigation into a Supreme Court justice’s raunchy e-mails after a newspaper reported he played a lead role in the justice’s 2011 re-election campaign.

Board lawyer Bob Graci made the decision after the Philadelphia Daily News reported on his activities on behalf of Justice Michael Eakin four years ago. Two other justices told The Associated Press they were not told about the relationship and should have been.

Judicial Conduct Board member Kevin Brobson said it was Graci’s decision and he took the action “out of an abundance of caution” and “to avoid the appearance of impropriety.”

Graci, a former state prosecutor and Superior Court judge, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The Judicial Conduct Board investigates allegations of misconduct against judges in Pennsylvania. It can either dismiss the Eakin matter or decide to file charges with the Court of Judicial Discipline.

Graci also played a lead role in a similar investigation into e-mails last year that cleared Eakin, and Brobson would not say if the board knew of the Eakin-Graci friendship. Brobson said Francis J. Puskas II, the board’s deputy chief counsel, will now supervise the Eakin investigation.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who has made public dozens of e-mails to and from Eakin, said Graci made the right decision.

“She says it’s too bad it took exposure of his obvious conflict of interest to make Mr. Graci do the right thing,” said Kane spokesman Chuck Ardo.