Buttigieg targeted in swatting incident
False reports led to temporary separation from 4-year-old twins
By: Ryan Murphy
Indianapolis Star
USA today Network
..... Pet Buttigieg's life was upended by a hoax: an antonymous caller told Michigan Children's Protective Services that his 4-year-old twins were in danger.
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"We could not understand someone abusing the system like this in order to hurt me and my family with an absurd and easily refuted allegation of a horrific crime," the former U.S. Transportation secretary and Democratic presidential candidate wrote in a June 26 [2026] Substack post.
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Buttigieg's post said that earlier in the week, a police officer and a children's service worker showed up on the doorstep of his Michigan home. They said they were investigation an allegation made against him, Buttigieg wrote in the post, but they would not share any details until the kids underwent private forensic interviews scheduled for the following day.
..... "The twenty-four hours until they returned are among the darkest hours of my life," Buttigieg wrote. "This is the ugliest thing that has happened to em since my career in service began."
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After the kids' interview, Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, learned the nature of the allegation. An anonymous caller claimed to have spoken with a woman who met Buttigige at a conference in Alabama several ears ago. that woman, the caller said, claimed Buttigieg confessed "unspeakable violent crimes" to her.
..... Buttigieg wrote that he told the police officer that he had never been to the town in Alabama where he was alleged to have spoken to the woman.
..... "Then the officer made clear that he believed this was politically motivated, and said it would to be referred to a prosecutor," Buttigieg wrote. "Nothing in the forensic interview with the children, which was conducted by trained personnel, had led to concerns."
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The Michigan State Police issued a statement about the incident saying it had received an anonymous report.
..... "The Michigan State Police and Child Protective Services responded and determined the report was false," the statement said. "False reports are dangerous and divert law enforcement officers and child Protective Services workers form responding to legitimate emergences and protecting vulnerable children and families."
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The CPS allegation against Buttigieg comes at a time of heightened concerns of political violence in recent months. A slew of Indian lawmakers were subject too "swatting" in the run-up to a vote on congressional redistricting.
..... Buttigieg said his family remains deeply shaken after the incident.
..... "Even though the accusation was absurdly and obviously false, and was promptly rejected by law enforcement, I still worry about the harm it has done, Buttigieg wrote. "Whatever you think abut someone in political, you leave people's kids out of it."
..... Contributing: Marc Ramirez, USA Today