Former US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says his family has been targeted in what he described as a politically motivated hoax. According to ABC News, the prominent Democratic figure said someone made a false report to Child Protective Services alleging that he had committed crimes against his children.
In a message posted online, Buttigieg gave a deeply personal reaction to the episode. He called it the ugliest thing that has happened to him since his career in public service began, and wrote that he felt rage and sadness that someone would involve his children in something like this.
He also pointed to what he sees as the motivation behind it. Buttigieg, who is openly gay and among the Democratic Party's most high-profile advocates for LGBTQ rights, implied that the false report could have been rooted in homophobia and that it was meant to target him and his family.
Authorities said they looked into the claim and found nothing to it. In a statement, Michigan State Police said that this week they had received an anonymous report, and that the state police and Child Protective Services responded and determined the report was false.
The police also used the case to warn about the consequences of such actions. They said false reports are dangerous and divert law enforcement officers and Child Protective Services workers away from responding to legitimate emergencies and protecting vulnerable children and families.
Buttigieg signaled that he does not intend to let the matter rest. According to the reporting, he said he is exploring whether to press civil or criminal charges over the incident, suggesting he may pursue legal action against whoever was responsible for the false complaint.
The episode adds to the scrutiny that surrounds Buttigieg, a former cabinet secretary who remains one of the best-known figures in the Democratic Party. His account frames the false report not only as a personal attack on his household but as part of a broader pattern of hostility aimed at him and his family.