An investigation by the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General found a county employee hired a relative without revealing their relationship.

The investigation found a manager working for the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs “participated in the hiring of a relative without disclosing the relationship,” which is a violation of personnel regulations.

The two employees were unnamed in the report.

The manager and their relative did not disclose their relationship to investigators when initially questioned but in subsequent interviews both admitted they were related by marriage, according to the report, which was released Friday by Inspector General Megan Limarzi. Both confirmed the manager had served on the employee’s hiring panel.

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However, the inspector general’s office found allegations that the manager had granted their relative unapproved overtime hours were unfounded.

Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno responded to Limarzi’s report in a letter, indicating he was “deeply concerned” about the employee’s lack of disclosure and the “false information initially provided” to the inspector general’s office.

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“We are undertaking all necessary measures to ensure all responsible personnel involved are thoroughly investigated and that appropriate corrective action is taken,” Madaleno wrote.

According to the report, this is not the first time in recent years that multiple family members have been reported to be working together at the Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

In 2024, the inspector general’s office found three children and one sibling of four department employees had been hired as contract workers. Because they were contract employees, the inspector general found their hiring did not violate the county’s anti-nepotism law.

However, she warned county officials that “nepotism in the workplace can lead to hiring of less qualified workers, a lack of diversity, inequities in the hiring process, increased risk of fraud, and dissatisfaction among employees,” according to the report.