Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says a false anonymous report leads to police and Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement at his home and briefly separates him from his 4-year-old twins. According to multiple outlets, the report alleged that he posed a danger to the children. Buttigieg describes the situation as a “swatting” attack and says he was kept away from his children for about a day while authorities investigated.
NBC News and other sources report that Michigan State Police and CPS confirm the allegations were unsubstantiated and determined to be false. Several outlets also describe how authorities handled the case as investigators pursued the information from the anonymous tip, including forensic interviews for the children. Buttigieg said in a post that the incident was politically motivated, and he recounted the experience as one of the hardest moments for his family.
While outlets vary in wording—some describe it as a hoax or swatting—reports agree that police investigated an anonymous CPS-related allegation, concluded it was false, and that Buttigieg temporarily spent time away from his children during the investigation.
