An Indiana prosecutor will not pursue criminal charges against the woman whose false child welfare report prompted an investigation into former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his family.
The 50-year-old Alabama woman was staying with family in Marshall County, Indiana, in June when she contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services with allegations about Buttigieg, who is increasingly being seen as a 2028 presidential contender.
The report was determined to be false and prompted authorities to investigate Buttigieg at his home in Traverse City, Michigan. Buttigieg was temporarily barred from being alone with his 4-year-old twins, Joseph August “Gus” and Penelope Rose, while child welfare officials conducted forensic interviews.
Indiana State Police recommended that the woman face criminal charges, chief public information officer Ron Galaviz told the Indianapolis Star in July. Marshall County prosecutor Nelson Chipman declined to prosecute, saying he could not establish that the woman was capable of forming the criminal intent required for a conviction.
“The evidence establishes [the woman] gave a false report resulting in Michigan law enforcement initiating a brief but intrusive investigation of an innocent individual and his family,” Chipman wrote in a July 29 email to an Indiana State Police investigator.
Chipman said the investigation established that the call originated in Marshall County, where the woman was staying with family.
In explaining his decision, Chipman cited the woman’s history of alcohol abuse and mental illness, including hallucinations and delusional thinking. He said she frequently reported hearing voices and exhibited grandiose beliefs, including identifying herself as God.
The prosecutor also noted that the woman had three encounters with police during her brief stay in Indiana, including an arrest for domestic battery. Her blood alcohol concentration in that case was reportedly .323, according to Chipman’s email. The woman later returned to Alabama and was living in a halfway house after being evicted from a treatment facility.
“In light of the totality of circumstances, I am unable to conclude that [the woman] is capable of forming the requisite intent to support a criminal conviction for this offense,” Chipman wrote. “Accordingly, this office will not be filing a criminal case in this matter.”
Buttigieg previously described the incident in a Substack post, saying the investigation began after a child protective services worker arrived at his home.
“I’m used to any number of falsehoods, attacks, and serious problems being thrown my way,” Buttigieg wrote. “What I didn’t understand was what could have led to this kind of visit.”
Buttigieg said the CPS worker told him he could not be alone with his children until they were interviewed the following day. He and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, ultimately had the children stay with their grandparents while the interviews took place.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office is separately investigating the original complaint and how Michigan authorities handled it.