Pete Buttigieg’s false report claims were found baseless after Michigan State Police and Child Protective Services investigated an anonymous allegation against the former U.S. transportation secretary.
Buttigieg said in a Substack post on Friday that a police officer and CPS worker came to his Michigan home after an anonymous caller claimed he posed a danger to his children.
Michigan State Police told NPR and AP that the anonymous report was false. Buttigieg said police believed the claim was politically motivated.
The Democrat said authorities arranged forensic interviews for his four-year-old twins. He said officials also told him not to be alone with the children until those interviews were completed.
Buttigieg said the children spent the night with their grandparents during the process. He described the separation as “among the darkest hours of my life”.
The former 2020 presidential candidate said the caller claimed he had confessed to violent crimes years earlier during a meeting in Alabama. Buttigieg said he had never visited the town cited in the allegation.
He compared the episode to swatting, but said the hoax used Child Protective Services instead of an armed police emergency response.
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Michigan State Police said false reports are dangerous because they divert workers from legitimate emergencies and families who need protection.
Buttigieg said the incident occurred after he posted family photos for Father’s Day. He also noted that it took place during Pride Month.
Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, became parents in 2021 when they adopted twins Joseph and Penelope.
