Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office is investigating how an unsubstantiated child abuse allegation led authorities to separate former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from his 4-year-old twins before verifying whether the claim had any credibility.
According to records obtained by The Washington Post, investigators in both Indiana and Michigan failed to properly vet the anonymous report before confronting Buttigieg at his Michigan home on June 23. Authorities instructed Buttigieg that he could not be alone with his adopted twins until interviews with the children could be completed the following day.
The allegation was later determined to be unfounded, but not before Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, sent their children to stay with grandparents while the investigation unfolded. The twins were also interviewed separately for about an hour each and both told investigators they felt safe.
In a recent Substack post, Buttigieg described the roughly 24-hour separation from his children as “among the darkest hours of my life.”
The investigation began after Indiana child welfare officials received an anonymous hotline complaint containing what records described as “very limited information.” The report was forwarded to Michigan, where the Buttigieg family lives, but officials did not include the caller’s identity or contact information because of agency policy.
Records reviewed by The Washington Post show Michigan investigators did not attempt to identify the person behind the complaint until six days after confronting Buttigieg—and only after the former cabinet secretary publicly revealed the ordeal and authorities acknowledged the allegation was baseless.
Kimberly Bush, a spokesperson for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, told The Washington Post that investigators should establish a connection between a complainant and a family—or determine whether a source is credible—before taking actions that separate parents from their children.
The newspaper later identified the apparent complainant as an Alabama woman who admitted contacting authorities about Buttigieg but was unable to provide evidence supporting her claims. She reportedly told the publication she was motivated by concerns about Buttigieg’s children and his potential political future. Police records also referenced social media posts in which she urged people not to support Buttigieg before filing the reports.
“At the very least, it’s incredibly poor investigative work,” University of Michigan law professor Vivek Sankaran tells The Washington Post. “I would even say reckless, in light of how harmful this is for the family.”
The incident carries additional weight given Buttigieg’s history as the first openly gay Cabinet secretary confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Buttigieg told investigators that his family has faced repeated harassment and death threats because of his sexuality, his marriage to Chasten, and the couple’s decision to adopt children.
The Indiana State Police continue investigating whether the false report violated state law, while Michigan authorities have said they will determine whether criminal charges are appropriate once the complainant has been formally identified.
“This has been a painful and infuriating situation for the family,” Buttigieg spokesperson Sean Manning tells The Washington Post. “They are in touch with Michigan authorities, seeking answers and accountability for what happened.”
