Indiana prosecutor declines charges in false Buttigieg child welfare report

An Indiana prosecutor has declined to file criminal charges against an Alabama woman who made a false child welfare complaint against former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The anonymous report in June led to a brief investigation where Buttigieg was temporarily separated from his four-year-old twins.

Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney E. Nelson Chipman Jr. stated that no criminal wrongdoing could be proven against the woman. Reports from the Michigan State Police, shared with Indiana authorities, indicate the 50-year-old woman has a history of alcoholism, chemical dependency, and mental health issues, including hallucinations and delusional thinking.

During her visit to Indiana, the woman was involved in three separate police encounters. Pete Buttigieg had expressed concerns that the incident was politically motivated, noting that authorities were not alerted to the caller's identity until six days after the initial report was made.