Nepotism

Nepotism is the appointment of family members to roles for which their relationship rather than their qualifications is the operative basis, in violation of anti-nepotism rules. Concrete forms include direct hires of relatives into staff positions in offices the official leads, the placement of family members in roles created or expanded for that purpose, and the routing of compensation to family members through advisory or consulting arrangements adjacent to the office. Lawful family service in genuinely independent contexts is not nepotism; the inclusion criterion is the relationship between the family tie and the appointment.