Timothy Busfield, known for his role in ‘The West Wing’, is now being hunted by U.S. Marshals. The 68-year-old actor and director is facing serious charges, including two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. Police in New Mexico issued an arrest warrant for him on Friday, but he has not been found yet.
Busfield played journalist Danny Concannon in the popular HBO show The West Wing from 1999 to 2006, as per Independent. He also appeared in well-known movies like Revenge of the Nerds, Field of Dreams, and Quiz Show. More recently, he worked as an executive producer and director on Fox’s crime series The Cleaning Lady, which ran from 2022 to 2025 before being cancelled.
The charges against Busfield involve allegations that he touched two young actors inappropriately while working on The Cleaning Lady set. According to police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos, the Albuquerque Police Department is working with the U.S. Marshal Service to bring Busfield into custody.
The disturbing pattern allegedly went on for months
The alleged incidents happened around five or six times, starting in November 2022. If convicted of these charges, Busfield could spend three or more years in a New Mexico state prison. The investigation began in November 2024 after staff at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported to police that children appeared to be groomed on The Cleaning Lady set.
During a phone interview with police officer Marvin Brown in November 2025, Busfield said he was innocent. He claimed that an actress from the show told him the mother of the two children had threatened revenge after they were removed from the show’s final season. This claim appears in the 12-page arrest warrant document. Hollywood relationships can be complicated, as Kristin Davis recently revealed about her past with another well-known actor.
Warner Bros TV, one of the companies that produced The Cleaning Lady, started its own investigation into the allegations last year. However, the company could not find enough evidence to support the claims against Busfield.
Busfield was born in Lansing, Michigan in June 1957 and studied drama at East Tennessee State University. He has worked in theater as both an actor and director, with Broadway shows including A Few Good Men and Brighton Beach Memoirs. He also appeared in the Emmy-winning series Thirtysomething in 1987 and directed episodes of Sports Night.
Because of the ongoing investigation, NBC pulled an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that was supposed to air this week. Busfield was set to play a respected judge in that episode. Meanwhile, there’s a sequel to The Social Network is officially in the works.
He has been married three times and has three children. Since 2013, he has been married to actress Melissa Gilbert, and they live together in Upstate New York.
Published: Jan 13, 2026 02:10 pm