Congress enacts the anti-nepotism statute, 5 U.S.C. 3110

Congress enacted 5 U.S.C. § 3110 in 1967, prohibiting federal officials from appointing or advocating for the appointment of relatives to positions they supervise or influence. The law passed in direct response to President John F. Kennedy's appointment of his brother Robert F. Kennedy as Attorney General in 1961, which drew bipartisan criticism. President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation as part of broader civil service reform. The statute defines "relative" broadly to include parents, siblings, children, spouses, in-laws, and cousins, and applies to both employment appointments and contracting decisions where officials exercise influence.