SALT LAKE CITY — Speaking for the first time about recent sexual misconduct allegations against Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the claims "disturbing," and if found to be true, "unconscionable."
At his monthly news conference Thursday, FOX 13 News investigative reporter Adam Herbets asked about Ballard and last week's rare statement of condemnation against him by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"What do I make of it?" Cox asked. "I don’t know Tim Ballard. I think I met him passing through an airport once... I know he was terminated from OUR, which I thought was very interesting that the organization that he created, was the face of, was – you know – the hero of, that they would terminate him and remove themselves from him, so I wondered like everybody else what was happening. There had to be something out there."
Over the weekend, Ballard stated he did not believe the condemnation truly came from the Church.
Cox himself inquired about its authenticity.
"I know there was a lot of push back, like did this really come from the Church? Did it come from a rogue spokesperson?" Cox said. "I reached out to the Church personally and was assured that that did come from the Church, that it had been vetted through all the normal Church processes.
Earlier this week, a VICE News report claimed Ballard left Operation Underground Railroad earlier this year after being investigated for sexual misconduct involving seven women.
Watch Gov. Cox's comments on Tim Ballard below:
In response, OUR said it does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination from anyone, but it could not comment on the investigation or circumstances leading to Ballard being "permanently" removed.
“Look I’ll just say clearly and openly, we’re focused on the future," said OUR CEO Matt Osborne. "We’re not focused on the past.”
"The allegations, though, of several different women are incredibly disturbing and just awful, and if true, just unconscionable," the governor said. "And so, what do I make of it? It's very disturbing and I hope they're not true.
"I truly hope that those allegations aren't true, but it would seem like now we have multiple organizations that are speaking out and that's deeply troubling."
The Church statement said Ballard had used the name of church leader President M. Russell Ballard for his own personal gain, involving the church in his personal and financial interests.
Tim Ballard refuted the statement, telling supporters in Boston: “It’s not true, nothing you hear is true.”
Despite the same name, the two men are unrelated.
FOX 13 News asked if Cox had any concerns with Ballard's relationship with Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes.
Cox said that is a question better posed to Reyes directly, but he hopes the state continues its efforts in fighting human trafficking.
"I hope that no one person is bigger than that cause," Cox said. "I don't know that much about the relationship — other than, I know Sean had said that he had someone who was considering running for the Senate that he would be supporting, and I think everybody assumed that that was Tim Ballard. I don’t know if that’s changed in light of what’s come forward."
