Nepotism at Energy Department Cited in Report

Any federal agency out there that isn't a big mess?

Advocating for the hire of relatives, a form of nepotism, has become "open and widely accepted" at the Energy Department, according to a federal watchdog report.

The Energy Department's inspector general made that determination in a report released last week about a senior agency official who pushed for three of his college-age children to be hired for department internships last year.

The unnamed official, who served in a top role with the agency's energy efficiency and renewable energy division, contacted a number of officials to inquire about opportunities for his kids, according to the inspector general.