Tim Ballard, the former Homeland Security special agent who inspired the surprise box office hit Sound of Freedom, has fallen out of favor with a prominent leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to online media outlet Vice News.
Ballard has risen in prominence in recent months, after Jim Caviezel portrayed him in the Eduardo Verástegui-directed movie, which is the 10th highest-grossing film this year with a haul of more than $183 million. The film followed Ballard as he set up Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an anti-child-trafficking organization.
Vice News is now reporting that Ballard had claimed prominent Mormon President M. Russell Ballard played a central role in OUR's operations—as well as backing his personal business ventures—as part of a bid to attract Americans to the Mormon faith.
Citing notes from a since-closed criminal inquiry, a transcript of an interview between a former OUR executive and investigators read, per Vice News: "Tim is fully convinced that he is supposed to be the 'Mormon Messiah and lead people back to the church.'"
However, a spokesperson for the church has told the outlet that while Elder Ballard once had a close relationship with Tim Ballard—to whom he is not related—the OUR founder "betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard's name for Tim Ballard's personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable."
The alleged action described as "morally unacceptable" has not been specified.
According to Salt Lake City Fox affiliate KSTU, Ballard responded to the church allegations while making a speech in Boston.
"It's not true, nothing you hear is true," he told the crowd. "This is breaking down my family like you can't believe."
Days before Sound of Freedom's July release, Tim Ballard departed from OUR following employee complaints about his conduct that led to an internal investigation. He is now with the SPEAR Fund, a new anti-trafficking organization.
In a statement shared with Newsweek via the SPEAR Fund, Tim Ballard said: "Evil pedophiles will stop at nothing, and they have allies in government, in the media, in big corporations, and even in public institutions. They continue to lie about and attempt to destroy my good name...and they will never stop.
"I want everyone to know that I and our vast army of supporters will likewise never stop. We will keep fighting for the vulnerable all over the globe, and we know that the truth will always prevail."
"I am a faithful Member in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," the statement said. "I believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures, and I believe in our faith with my whole heart. That will never change."
Tim Ballard went on to question the veracity of the statement accusing him of "morally unacceptable" behavior, adding that his church "has not publicly verified its authenticity."
He concluded that "nothing will change my core beliefs. If someone within the church did release this statement, I am absolutely confident that the right people will step in and ensure that proper due process is followed as the rules of our church dictate."
When contacted by Newsweek, a spokesperson for OUR confirmed that Ballard resigned from the organization on June 22 of this year.
"He has permanently separated from O.U.R.," read the statement, in part.
The spokesperson added that OUR "is confident in its future as the leading organization committed to combatting sex trafficking and saving children who have been captured and sold into slavery."
Vice News has also reported that Ballard was accused of sexual misconduct involving seven women before his departure from OUR. A spokesperson for OUR told Newsweek in a statement that it "is dedicated to combatting sexual abuse and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in its organization.
"O.U.R. retained an independent law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all relevant allegations, and O.U.R. continues to assess and improve the governance of the organization and protocols for its operations
"To preserve the integrity of its investigation and to protect the privacy of all persons involved, O.U.R. will not make any further public comment at this time."
Newsweek has contacted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints via email for comment.
According to Vice News, OUR faced a now-closed criminal investigation conducted jointly by the FBI and a Utah county attorney. Ultimately, no charges were filed against Ballard or OUR. According to the report, criminal investigators were interested in the link between Ballard, the church and a psychic medium called Janet Russon, who was listed as the executive director of Children Need Families at OUR.
Close Ties
Citing documents obtained through a public-records request, Vice News reports that the Ballards are described as having had exceptionally close ties.
Elder Ballard, who is Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is a highly revered member of the church, and is seen as a moral and spiritual authority. Vice News previously reported that it was Elder Ballard who urged Tim Ballard to leave Homeland Security to found OUR.
Prosecutor Troy Rawlings, the Utah attorney general whose office carried out the now-closed investigation into OUR, stated that he had around "10,000 pages" of psychic readings. The Ballards, it is alleged, leaned on the insight of a psychic who "talks to dead Mormon leaders, particularly a Mormon Prophet from 600BC named Nephi, to get intel."
Per Vice News, Rawlings pointed out that OUR donors had not been "made aware" that its paramilitary operations were guided by medium Russon, via a Mormon prophet who had died thousands of years ago.
The outlet also reports, via the documents, that Elder Ballard maintained close contact with Tim Ballard during one unsuccessful overseas rescue mission that was reportedly based on information garnered by the psychic medium. Tim Ballard reportedly said that Elder Ballard blessed him and his wife, before receiving real-time updates from the mission.
'Relationship is in the Past'
A spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement to Vice News that the Ballards' friendship "was built on a shared interest in looking after God's children wherever they are and without regard to their circumstance. However, that relationship is in the past.
"For many months, President Ballard has had no contact with the founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). The nature of that relationship was always in support of vulnerable children being abused, trafficked, and otherwise neglected.
"Once it became clear Tim Ballard had betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard's name for Tim Ballard's personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable, President Ballard withdrew his association. President Ballard never authorized his name, or the name of the Church, to be used for Tim's personal or financial interests."
"In addition, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented OUR, Tim Ballard or any projects associated with them," the statement continued. "President Ballard loves children, all over the world. It has been his mission and life's work to look after them, care for them, and point them to their Savior."
Meanwhile, Tim Ballard—who served on an anti-trafficking White House advisory council during Donald Trump's presidency between late 2019 and 2020—recently revealed that he is "very seriously considering" running for Mitt Romney's Utah Senate seat.
Speaking with Sean Spicer on The Sean Spicer Show, Ballard said that he was asked "several weeks ago" by "very influential people" to consider running for the seat, which Romney recently said he would vacate at the end of his term.
Utah-based Tim Ballard also said that the success of Sound of Freedom, and his subsequent fame, have made it all but impossible for him to continue his undercover work, making a move to the Senate an attractive alternative.
In his statement shared with Newsweek on Tuesday, Tim Ballard linked Vice News' report on his church relationships to his political ambitions.
He said that he was "highly suspicious about the timing of such a statement given its close proximity to Mitt Romney's announcement that he is retiring, and my own public comments that I am prayerfully considering running for public office. The LDS church does not engage in political activity."
Update 09/19/23, 1:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from Tim Ballard.
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