Baldwin didn't hire anyone. He was one of 10 producers, and was listed as being in charge of funding and script changes.
And yes, family connections did play a big role here, the armorer is the daughter of an armorer who has worked on hundreds of films and TV shows.
And she didn't even know the brand name Starline Brass when questioned by police.
That alone is a major red flag, because Starline Brass is the company that makes all the dummy rounds used on movie sets. They do not make live rounds, and yet, the round that Baldwin shot, was in a Starline Brass casing.