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US Marshals join hunt for missing West Wing star Timothy Busfield who faces child sex abuse charges

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US Marshals have joined the search for missing actor Timothy Busfield who is facing child sexual abuse charges.

A warrant is out for the star who appeared in the shows The West Wing and Thirtysomething.

Timothy Busfield is wanted over child sexual abuse chargesCredit: Getty
West Wing star Busfield seen in 2020Credit: Getty

Officials at a New Mexico hospital claimed two boys, 11, were groomed on the set of The Cleaning Lady – a series where Busfield, 68, worked as a director. 

Busfield allegedly told the children to “call him uncle Tim.”

Cops started to investigate the abuse claims after receiving a report from a doctor.

One boy claimed Busfield inappropriately touched him when he was seven and eight years of age, according to an affidavit seen by the Los Angeles Times.

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‘ABUSE’ CHARGES

West Wing star faces child sex abuse charges as cops issue arrest warrant

The alleged victim claimed he was afraid to report the abuse.

He was worried that “Tim” would get mad at him.

A second child star claimed Busfield touched him during the first two years they worked on The Cleaning Lady.

Albuquerque cops are working with US Marshals, a police spokesperson told Deadline. 

Fox and Warner Bros officials have spoken out amid the probe.

“The health and safety of our cast and crew is always our top priority, especially the safety of minors on our productions,” they said.

“We take all allegations of misconduct very seriously and have systems in place to promptly and thoroughly investigate and, when needed, take appropriate action.”

Busfield has not yet been arrested.

He has more than 700 credits as an actor, director and producer to his name.

Busfield won an Emmy for his role as Elliot Weston on Thirtysomething in 1991.

He starred as Danny Concannon in several series of the West Wing.

The actor and director tied the knot with Melissa Gilbert in 2013.

Gilbert suddenly deleted her social media in light of the ongoing police probe.

Busfield with wife Melissa GilbertCredit: Getty

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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West Wing actor Timothy Busfield facing child sex abuse charges in New Mexico as cops issue warrant for arrest

ACTOR and director Timothy Busfield is facing allegations of child sexual abuse.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the Emmy-winning star, best known for his roles in “Field of Dreams” and the TV shows “The West Wing” and “Thirtysomething”.

Timothy Busfield is facing charges of child sex abuseCredit: Getty
He is well-known for his role in ‘West Wing’ and hundreds of other Hollywood projectsCredit: Getty

A police probe into the film icon was launched in November 2024 when cops attended the University of New Mexico Hospital after a doctor made a report.

An officer reportedly spoke with two parents who said their children were actors on the FOX TV show “The Cleaning Lady” – where Busfield, 68, worked as a director.

The producer is alleged to have told the siblings to call him “Uncle Tim”, and was accused of tickling their stomach and legs, according to a warrant filed by Albuquerque police on January 4.

Hospital employees told police that it appeared the kids had been groomed, court documents say.

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One of the minors claimed the alleged abuse started when he was seven years old.

Busfield allegedly touched the child five or six times on another occasion.

The director is said to have grown “closer to the boys” over the series shooting, the children’s’ parents say in the arrest warrant.

One of the minors told a therapist in 2025 that Busfield touched his “genitalia” and “bottom” while in a bedroom on the set of the TV show, according to an affidavit obtained by KTLA.

The document says that Busfield told an officer that he had engaged in “playful” contact with the children on set, but denied any wrongdoing. 

Busfield, also well-known for his role in “Revenge of the Nerds”, now faces two counts of sexual contact with a minor and child abuse. 

It is currently unclear whether or not the Hollywood star has been booked yet.

According to his arrest warrant, Busfield has previously faced sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994.

The Sun reached out to Busfield’s team for comment.

Busfield has over 700 credits as an actor, producer and director in TV and film.

He won an Emmy Award for his role as Elliot Weston on the hit series “Thirtysomething” in 1991.

The film industry giant is best-known for his role as Danny Concannon in several seasons of “The West Wing”.

But he has also appeared in several films including “Stripes,” “Sneakers” and “Quiz Show”.

Busfield married Melissa Gilbert in 2013, and the pair do not share any children.

Actress Melissa Gilbert (L) with her husband Timothy BusfieldCredit: AFP

Breaking news… More to follow…

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White House says it wasn’t economical to save East Wing during ballroom construction

The White House said it was not feasible to save the East Wing because of structural and other concerns as officials shared details of President Trump’s planned ballroom at Thursday’s meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission.

Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, ticked off issues including an unstable colonnade, water leakage and mold contamination in explaining why it was more economical to tear down the East Wing to make room for the $400-million ballroom than to renovate it.

“Because of this and other factors, the cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher said.

Will Scharf, a top White House aide whom Trump tapped to head the commission, opened the meeting by noting “passionate comments on both sides” of the ballroom project but adding that public comment wouldn’t be part of Thursday’s session.

“I view today’s presentation really as the start of a process as the ballroom moves through the overall NCPC process,” Scharf said, adding that his objective is for the commission to play a “productive role” as ballroom construction moves ahead.

In December, the White House submitted its ballroom plans to the commission, which is one of two federal panels that review construction on federal land — usually before ground is broken. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to halt construction, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws by proceeding before submitting the project for the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment.

The first step in the review process for the East Wing Modernization Project was Thursday’s information presentation, during which commissioners could ask questions and offer general feedback. A more formal review is expected in the spring — including public testimony and votes.

A summary on the commission’s website said the purpose of the project is to “establish a permanent, secure event space within the White House grounds” that provides increased capacity for official state functions, eliminates reliance on temporary tents and support facilities, and “protects the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and its grounds.”

A comprehensive design plan for the White House prepared in 2000 identified the “need for expanded event space to address growing visitor demand and provide a venue suitable for significant events,” the summary said. It added that successive administrations had “recognized this need as an ongoing priority.”

The 12-member National Capital Planning Commission is led by Scharf. He said at the commission’s December meeting that the review process would be treated seriously and be conducted at a “normal and deliberative pace.”

Carol Quillen, president of the trust, told the Associated Press in a recent interview that she takes Scharf “at his word” that the commission will do its job.

Trump, a Republican serving his second term, has been talking about building a White House ballroom for years. In July, the White House announced a 90,000-square-foot space would be built on the east side of the complex to accommodate 650 seated guests at a then-estimated cost of $200 million. Trump has said it will be paid for with private donations, including from him.

He later upped the ballroom’s capacity to 999 people and, by October, had demolished the two-story East Wing. In December, he updated the price tag to $400 million.

The White House has announced few other details about the project but has said it would be completed before Trump’s term ends in January 2029. Trump has said the ballroom will be big enough for future presidential inaugurations to be held there. He also said it will have bulletproof glass and a drone-free roof.

While in Florida last week, the president bought marble and onyx for the ballroom “at his own expense,” the White House said. The cost was not disclosed.

Superville writes for the Associated Press.

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COLUMN RIGHT/ JAMES P. PINKERTON : Is there Room for Ross in West Wing? : His post-election appearances make inquiring minds wonder: Just what does Perot want?

James P. Pinkerton, former deputy assistant to President Bush,
is the senior fellow at the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, N.C.

A year ago, Ross Perot began his campaign with his if-the-volunteers-want-me appearance on “Larry King Live.” This evening, he tops off a round of rallies and a medley of talk shows as Jay Leno’s guest on “The Tonight Show.” Beyond the obvious question–when will he do Letterman?–lies an even bigger one: What does Perot want?

He’s already fulfilled one wish, destroying George Bush. Candidate Clinton must have enjoyed watching Perot torpedo Bush last year. After all, the nonpartisan Perot was much more credible attacking Bush for the deficit or Iraq-gate than any Democrat could have been. Now, it’s President Clinton’s turn. Perot’s Will Rogers-style gibes at Clinton’s attorneys-general follies are drawing blood. More ominously, Perot’s support for a balanced-budget amendment threatens to undercut, if not actually nullify, Clinton’s “investment” agenda.

Specific issues aside, Perot has a broad and true message: Washington is out of sync with the country. Does anyone think that the middle class wanted their new President to fill up his Cabinet with yuppies who have more experience dealing with domestics and chauffeurs than they do with nurses and auto workers? Does anyone think that this Congress will pass meaningful ethics or campaign-finance-reform legislation?

Perot’s sweeping critique of Washington’s “arrogance” poses tough questions to the Beltway culture. One such question comes from business guru Peter Drucker: “If we weren’t doing it now, would we start?” In other words, are the structures of the government, from the schools to welfare to the military, the best we can possibly do? If we can do better, what are the obstacles to real reform? Official Washington could find the answer in a mirror, which is exactly Perot’s point. Perot may seem simplistic, but he plays well in Peoria; especially as Clinton seems to have lost his “reinventing government” zest about the time he went to Pamela Harriman’s Georgetown mansion for cocktails.

Sen. Bob Krueger (D-Tex.) expressed the fundamental problem–that government is incompetent–in crisp Perotian terms: “If the government were a store, nobody would buy here. If it were an airline, nobody would fly it.”

A recent Business Week article described “The Virtual Corporation,” the new phenomenon of “temporary networks of companies that come together quickly to exploit fast-changing opportunities.” Global competition forces change. Virtual corporations “could well be the model for the American business organization in the years ahead.” What about government organization? With the current crew, the prospects of applying these profound lessons to Washington are nil. Perot, with his business background and his blunt desire to “get under the hood” and fix things, has reformist credibility no politician can dream of.

So what does Perot want? The average billionaire lives a life of quiet desperation. With every material need satisfied, he has to find something to do. Some buy tabloid newspapers; others, baseball teams. Perot clearly relishes his “Mr. Smith goes to Washington” role. And what if lightning were to strike? Perot must be haunted by an exit poll from last November which showed that a stunning 36% of the voters would have voted for him if they had thought he could have won. With that share of the vote in a three-way race in 1996, Perot could indeed win.

But Doug Bailey, a veteran Republican who foresaw Perot’s rise last year, isn’t sure that Perot actually wants to be President. “I think he really wants to be the First Kibitzer,” Bailey said in an interview. Perot is likely to keep his presidential options open till the last minute. That means 3 1/2 years of “will he or won’t he?” stories, with accompanying heartburn for both parties. The Republicans would love to march in Perot’s populist parade, but Perot understands that his aura would be smudged if he consorted with either party. Clinton can try to co-opt some of Perot’s juice with White House perk purges and call-in shows, but he lacks Perot’s earthy urgency.

Clinton used the wrong system of quotas when he staffed his Administration without a single one of the 19 million Perot voters. Now, he would be wise to call Perot in to the Oval Office for a humble-pie session. And if Clinton’s troubles continue, don’t be surprised if he reaches under the hood of his own Administration and offers Perot a “policy czar” appointment well before the next election.

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