Buttigieg was briefly separated from his children after police say he was target of false report

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was the target of an anonymous report that police determined was false and that he says forced him to spend a night away from his four-year-old twins.

Buttigieg wrote in a Substack post that a Michigan State Police officer told him they found nothing to substantiate the anonymous allegation and believed it was politically motivated. He described the 24-hour ordeal as “among the darkest hours of my life.”

In a statement, Michigan State Police said they received an “anonymous report” and that they and child protective services “responded and determined the report was false.”

According to Buttigieg, a Michigan State Police officer and a child protective services worker came to his home after receiving an anonymous report alleging he posed a danger to his children. He said authorities arranged forensic interviews for his twins and instructed him not to be alone with them until the interviews were complete.

The following day, Buttigieg said investigators told him the anonymous caller claimed he had confessed years earlier to violent crimes during a chance meeting in Alabama. Buttigieg said he had never been to the town where the meeting allegedly occurred. He said police told him the allegation would not be referred to prosecutors, while Child Protective Services found nothing to substantiate the report.

“I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at the idea that someone brought our children into this,” writes Buttigieg. “They are four years old. Four. They do not know or care what a Democrat or a Republican is.”

Buttigieg, who is widely viewed as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, has long been the target of anti-LGBTQ attacks.

In recent years, conservative activists and some Republican officials have opposed efforts to portray same-sex parents as ordinary families in schools and public life. June — widely recognized as Pride Month — is Strong Families Month in Alabama, intended to coincide with Father’s Day. Gov. Kay Ivey’s proclamation says fathers are “the head of the household” and “homes led by a father and mother provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed throughout life.”

Buttigieg wrote that the incident occurred soon after he shared photos of his family online for Father’s Day.

Buttigieg drew criticism from some Republicans for taking paternity leave after he and his husband, Chasten, adopted their twins while he was serving in the Biden administration. Buttigieg also wrote that he has faced death threats during his career.

“But this is the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began,” he wrote.

Public officials from across the political spectrum have increasingly been targeted by swatting, which is the act of making a false call to emergency services to prompt a response at a particular address. The goal is to get authorities, particularly a SWAT team, to show up. Law enforcement agencies have warned that the incidents divert resources from other pressing tasks and pose risks to both law enforcement and the victims.

Buttigieg said the incident reflected a broader escalation in political attacks.

“Everyone knows politics is ugly these days,” he wrote. “It’s always been ugly, but now it feels more and more like bloodsport.”

“Even so, this is different.”