Key facts
- Pete Buttigieg was subjected to a false, anonymous child abuse allegation.
- The allegation led to a 24-hour separation from his four-year-old twins.
- Michigan State Police and Child Protective Services investigated and found the claim to be false.
- Buttigieg believes the incident was politically motivated and likened it to 'swatting'.
Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg revealed that an anonymous and baseless accusation of child abuse led child protective services to investigate his family, forcing him to separate from his four-year-old twins for 24 hours. Buttigieg described the incident as 'among the darkest hours of my life' and likened the accusation to 'swatting,' the practice of making false emergency reports. The anonymous caller claimed to have met Buttigieg years ago and heard him confess to unspeakable violent crimes, a claim Buttigieg denies, stating he had never been to the location mentioned. The Michigan State Police and Child Protective Services investigated the allegation and determined it to be false and unsubstantiated. Buttigieg believes the incident was a 'cruel, politically motivated hoax' that occurred shortly after he shared family photos on social media for Father's Day.