Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg disclosed Friday that his family was targeted by a "swatting" incident in which child protective services and police were called to his home over false allegations. The incident temporarily separated him from his two young children.
Buttigieg, a prominent figure in the Democratic Party, wrote on a blog post that the situation involved a Child Protective Services worker and a police officer arriving at his Traverse City, Michigan, home a few days prior. They stated an allegation had been made against him concerning his 4-year-old twins, requiring the children to be interviewed without him present. He was also informed he could not be unsupervised with the children until the interview was completed.
"The twenty-four hours until they returned are among the darkest hours of my life," Buttigieg wrote. He described the ordeal of being accused of something serious enough to warrant such intervention and having his children interviewed by strangers without knowing the nature of the accusation.
He recounted that during his interview, police informed him that an individual claiming to have met him at a conference had alleged he admitted to "unspeakable violent crimes," thus posing a risk to his children.
Both police and Child Protective Services reportedly found the allegations unsubstantiated, and Buttigieg was soon permitted to be unsupervised with his children again. The Michigan State Police confirmed that the anonymous report was false.
"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," the Michigan State Police said in a statement. The department added that the report was a "cruel, politically motivated hoax that harmed our family."
Buttigieg expressed anger and sadness that his children, who are too young to understand politics, were involved in such an incident. He suggested the event may have been motivated by homophobia and intended as a political attack.
"Everyone knows politics is ugly these days. It’s always been ugly, but now it feels more and more like bloodsport. Cruelty, lies, and even deadly violence have been directed at political figures across the ideological spectrum," Buttigieg wrote. "Even so, this is different... Now our family is left to deal with the aftermath. I worry about any unseen effects this had on our kids, on Chasten and me, and on the rest of our family."
He noted that the incident occurred shortly after his family shared photos on social media for Father's Day and during a month designated to make families like his feel welcome and safe. Buttigieg is reportedly exploring the possibility of pressing civil or criminal charges.
Buttigieg, who is openly gay, has become a notable advocate for LGBTQ rights. He and his husband, Chasten, moved to Traverse City, Michigan, during his tenure in President Joe Biden's administration.