Iowa Sec. of State refunds state for brother's wages - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz says he inadvertently violated the state's nepotism law when he gave a temporary job to his college-aged brother, and has paid back all the wages he received.

Schultz told The Associated Press on Thursday he was unfamiliar with a law that says state officials generally cannot hire their relatives when he offered the internship to his brother, Andrew.

After the AP questioned the job last month, Schultz said he discovered that it was not allowed. He said he contacted the attorney general's office immediately and paid back $4,908, the amount of wages and payroll taxes the state spent on his brother.

He says Andrew Schultz earned $10-per-hour answering phones, making copies and performing other clerical work in his Capitol office during the Legislative session.