Pete Buttigieg, a former cabinet official and potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, disclosed on June 26, 2026, that his family had been targeted by a false report that brought both police and Child Protective Services to their door.
According to Buttigieg, an anonymous tip prompted investigators to show up at his home to look into claims involving him and his children, Penelope and Gus. The report turned out to be entirely false.
Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten Buttigieg, was also part of the family affected by the incident. The former official chose to speak out publicly about the experience, bringing attention to the use of false reports as a tool of harassment.
The incident is being described as a form of “swatting” — a practice in which someone deliberately files a false emergency or welfare report in order to send law enforcement or child welfare officials to a target’s home.
