Pete Buttigieg Speaks Out After a ‘False Report’ Leads Child Protective Services to Investigate His Twins’ Safety at Home
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
News Blend 360
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 8:34 PM EDT
NEED TO KNOW
In a Substack post on Friday, June 26, Pete Buttigieg shared that child protective services recently conducted an investigation into his twins' safety at home due to a "false report."
The former transportation secretary mentioned that he was informed he could not be alone with his children for 24 hours during the investigation.
Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, are the parents of 4-year-old fraternal twins, Gus and Penelope.
Pete Buttigieg stated that a "false report" prompted child protective services to examine his children's safety at home.
The former United States Secretary of Transportation, 44, disclosed that a CPS worker and a Michigan state trooper visited his home "a few days ago" following a "false report," as mentioned in a Substack post on Friday, June 26.
They informed him of an "allegation" against him concerning Joseph August "Gus" and Penelope Rose, whom he and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, adopted in 2021. Buttigieg further stated that a child protective services worker told him he could not be "alone" with his 4-year-old twins during their interviews.
A "forensic interview" was scheduled for Gus and Penelope the following day, as communicated by the trooper and CPS worker. Neither Buttigieg nor any family member was allowed to be present for the interview. He would only be informed of the "nature of the allegation" after his own interview, Buttigieg noted.
Buttigieg said he tried to remain calm but was then informed, "I was not to be alone around the children, at least until the interview took place the next day," he wrote. "They asked if I had relatives nearby or could perhaps stay at a hotel for the night."
Chasten later returned home with Gus and Penelope after picking them up from summer camp. The couple and the police agreed that the children would spend the night at their grandparents' house nearby.
The former South Bend, Ind., mayor described the 24 hours away from his children as "among the darkest hours of my life."
Buttigieg referred to the experience as "the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began," he wrote.
Investigators informed Buttigieg the following day that the accusation originated from an anonymous caller who claimed to have spoken to a "woman who alleged she met me at a conference several years ago in Alabama," Buttigieg wrote. The woman supposedly told the caller that Buttigieg confessed to committing violent crimes, leading the caller to believe Buttigieg's children were at risk. Buttigieg stated he had never visited the town where this alleged encounter occurred.
The police officer informed Buttigieg that the allegation would not be forwarded to a prosecutor. The officer suspected the report was "politically motivated," and after interviewing Gus and Penelope, they found no cause for concern.
A Michigan State Police spokesperson confirmed to NB360 that an officer and CPS "responded and determined the report was false," adding, "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."
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Although the incident was triggered by a false report, Buttigieg expressed concern about its impact on his family. The former Democratic presidential candidate also noted that it was "not lost on him" that the incident occurred "soon after" he and Chasten posted pictures of their family on social media for Father's Day.
"I cannot describe the mix of rage and sadness that I feel at the idea that someone brought our children into this," Buttigieg wrote. "They are four years old. Four. They do not know or care what a Democrat or a Republican is. They don't know how politics works. They don't know about hate."
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