Pete Buttigieg, the former US transportation secretary, said on Friday that an anonymous and meritless accusation led Child Protective Services to investigate his family, resulting in a 24-hour separation from his four-year-old twins. In a Substack post, Buttigieg described the incident as “among the darkest hours of my life” and likened it to “swatting,” where false emergency reports trigger law enforcement responses.
Details of the Incident
According to Buttigieg, a police officer and a CPS worker arrived at his family’s home in Michigan earlier this week. They required Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, to separate from their children for 24 hours. The children were sent to their grandparents’ house. “For twenty-four deeply distressing hours, we had no idea what I was accused of or what was about to happen,” Buttigieg wrote.
The anonymous caller claimed to have spoken to a woman who alleged Buttigieg confessed to “unspeakable violent crimes” at a conference in Alabama. Buttigieg stated he had never been to that location, calling the accusation a “cruel, politically motivated hoax that harmed our family.”
Official Response
Michigan state police spokesperson Shanon Banner confirmed the incident, saying, “The Michigan state police and Child Protective Services responded and determined the report was false. False reports are dangerous and divert law enforcement officers and Child Protective Services workers from responding to legitimate emergencies and protecting vulnerable children and families.”
Buttigieg noted the timing of the hoax, which occurred after he shared Father’s Day photos on social media and during Pride Month. He vowed to pursue civil or criminal charges if possible, stating, “Do not mess with someone’s kids.”
Broader Context
Swatting incidents have increased, targeting elected officials and prominent figures amid political polarization. Buttigieg argued this case represents a “different” level of harassment, injecting fear into family life. “Now our family is left to deal with the aftermath,” he wrote, emphasizing the need to draw a line against such abuse of the system.
