Arrest warrant issued for ‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield
An arrest warrant has been issued for the West Wing actor and director Timothy Busfield, who is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and an open count of child abuse.
The warrant has been issued in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a child told law enforcement that Busfield allegedly touched them inappropriately at the age of seven.
The court records, as obtained by the Independent, share that the alleged incidents occurred five or six times. They happened while Busfield was directing the Fox crime series The Cleaning Lady, which began in November 2022.
The investigation into Busfield began in November 2024, following reports from staff at the University of New Mexico Hospital, who told police that they believed children were being groomed on the set of the television show.
The record claims that, while two children from the hospital did not outright accuse Busfield of sexual contact, they shared that “Uncle Tim” tickled them on their stomach and legs, which they did not enjoy.
The 68-year-old actor, Busfield, is mainly recognised for his role in The West Wing from 1999 to 2006, where he played the Pulitzer Prize–winning White House Correspondent Danny Concannon.
Busfield also starred in films, such as 1989’s Field of Dreams and Revenge of the Nerds in 1984. His Broadway credits include A Few Good Men and Brighton Beach Memoirs.
The director has been married three times; his first marriage was with actor and director Radha Delamarter, with whom he had a son. After they divorced in 1986, he married fashion designer Jennifer Merwin in 1988, and they had two children. They divorced in 2007. In 2013, he married Little House on the Prairie actor Melissa Gilbert.
Busfield has not responded to the charges.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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