Pete Buttigieg Describes Traumatic Separation From Twin Children Following False CPS Report

Pete Buttigieg has opened up about a harrowing experience his family endured when they became the subject of a false report to authorities. The 44-year-old former Transportation Secretary shared details of the incident through a Substack post on Friday, June 26, revealing how he and his husband Chasten were temporarily separated from their 4-year-old twins.

According to Buttigieg's account, a Michigan State Police officer and a Child Protective Services worker arrived at his home with allegations stemming from an anonymous report. He was informed that a forensic interview had been scheduled for his children the following day, with no family members permitted to observe. Additionally, he was instructed to avoid being alone with his children pending the interview, as the report had alleged he posed a potential threat to them.

"The twenty-four hours until they returned are among the darkest hours of my life," Buttigieg wrote of the separation period.

When investigators returned the next day, they revealed the anonymous caller's claims: that Buttigieg had allegedly confessed years prior to "unspeakable violent crimes" to a woman he supposedly met at a conference in Alabama. Buttigieg stated he had never visited the town in question.

The investigating officer indicated his belief that the report was politically motivated and stated it would not be forwarded to prosecutors. The CPS worker similarly found no substantiation for the allegations, though the agency's formal process would continue.

Buttigieg expressed profound distress over the situation, noting that his children—both four years old—had to undergo individual interviews lasting nearly an hour each with unfamiliar adults, despite being taught to avoid strangers. "I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at the idea that someone brought our children into this," he wrote.

He drew parallels to "swatting"—when false emergency reports are filed to dispatch armed police to someone's residence—but noted that in his case, the child welfare system served as the vehicle for the false report. Buttigieg characterized the incident as part of an escalating pattern of threats targeting public figures and their families.

"We cannot let American politics keep going in this direction. And we must not all go on as if it's acceptable for this kind of thing to be part of the cost of entering public service," he wrote.

Michigan State Police confirmed receiving the anonymous report and stated that both they and CPS "responded and determined the report was false." Shanon Banner, director of the department's Communications and Outreach Division, emphasized the dangers of such false reports: "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 concluded his statement by reaffirming his commitment to his family and their well-being. "Chasten and I will continue to pour ourselves into the joyful and demanding work of raising and educating our two children," he wrote. "Being their parents is the best thing in our lives."