The State has refused to charge the woman who triggered child welfare investigation against the Secretary of Transportation

The state has refused to charge the woman whose false child welfare report triggered an investigation into former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s family. The decision leaves Buttigieg without the criminal case he had hoped could bring accountability for what happened.

Per WashingtonPost, An Indiana prosecutor determined there was not enough evidence to establish the criminal intent required for a conviction. The prosecutor also acknowledged that the report led to an intrusive investigation involving an innocent family.

The complaint was made through an Indiana child welfare hotline before being passed to authorities in Michigan. Investigators there eventually determined the allegations against Buttigieg were unfounded.

Buttigieg was temporarily separated from his children

The investigation became far more serious when Michigan authorities arrived at Buttigieg’s home. He was told he could not be alone with his four-year-old twins until they had been interviewed by investigators. Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, then arranged for the children to stay with their grandparents. The children were interviewed the following day as authorities investigated the allegations.

The handling of the complaint has since raised questions beyond the decision not to prosecute. Indiana officials initially gave Michigan authorities very little information about the person behind the report.

As reported by People, Michigan police also did not attempt to identify the caller until several days after approaching Buttigieg. In the report, child welfare experts who reviewed the records said that the case exposed problems with judgment and communication between agencies.

The woman, identified in records only as “TJ,” was not publicly named. The prosecutor cited a documented history of alcohol abuse, hallucinations and delusional thinking when explaining why he believed she could not form the necessary criminal intent.

The decision, however, does not end the broader investigation into what happened. Michigan’s attorney general is still examining how the allegation was received and handled by authorities.

For Buttigieg, that means the latest development brings no criminal charges against the woman who triggered the ordeal. His family is instead left waiting for answers from the separate Michigan investigation into how the complaint was allowed to escalate so quickly.