SALT LAKE CITY — Friday's announcement by Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes that he would withdraw his consideration for a re-election bid came after years of reporting by the FOX 13 Investigates team into Reyes' ties with Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad.
An exclusive investigation by FOX 13 News in October 2020 revealed how the Davis County Attorney's Office opened a criminal fraud investigation into Ballard and OUR.
The FBI joined the investigation shortly thereafter.
Reyes was also a subject of the investigation.
Representatives of OUR spent years lying about the existence of the investigation, and Ballard walked out of an interview with FOX 13 News when asked about the status of the case.
The case was at least partially concluded in 2023 without the filing of criminal charges.
Sound of Freedom, which is based on Ballard and OUR's origin story, was released on July 4, 2023.
At around that same time, Ballard "permanently separated" from OUR at the conclusion of an internal affairs investigation related to sexual misconduct. Plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit said they believe Ballard was fired and eventually rehired so he could resign with his dignity intact.
Reyes announced he would be running for a fourth term as Utah Attorney General on September 13, 2023, squashing any rumors that he would run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Mitt Romney.
Reyes added that he would soon be endorsing a "patriot" and "warrior" for the seat, which everyone knew to be Ballard. Messages sent to Ballard's executive assistant that same day show Reyes attempted to coordinate the announcement with Ballard "to build up some anticipation."
Two days later, on September 15, 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement condemning Ballard for "morally unacceptable" behavior.
The statement downplayed Tim Ballard's personal and business relationships with Apostle M. Russell Ballard. The two are not related despite having the same last name.
Not long after the statement was released, women started filing lawsuits against Ballard, accusing him of sexual assault and using the Church to help groom victims.
According to a civil complaint, Ballard was excommunicated from the Church. The lawsuit further stated he lied about his role with the CIA.
The Utah AG's Office released records in September related to Davis County's criminal investigation of OUR, showing how investigators believed Ballard spent tens of thousands of donor dollars on a psychic to speak to the "dead Mormon prophet Nephi" for information on where to find trafficked children.
In an effort to stick up for his friend, Reyes admitted he knew about the OUR psychic on September 29, 2023.
According to the Utah AG’s Office, Reyes “did not personally witness (the psychic) provide operational intel, but (psychics) on occasion provide helpful information leading law enforcement to useful evidence, including for lost or abducted individuals.”
FOX 13 News obtained police data from 134 agencies in Utah which indicated Reyes' statements were not exactly true. We have not been able to find a single case in Utah in which a law enforcement agency spent taxpayer money on a psychic.
Reyes was accused of witness tampering on November 2, 2023 by plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Ballard and OUR.
At the time, Reyes was not named as a defendant. The plaintiffs said Reyes turned a blind eye to the tactics that led to their abuse.
In a separate lawsuit filed by the same attorneys on November 27, 2023, Reyes was accused of similar misconduct and named as a defendant. The lawsuit included a “very self-aggrandizing” script written by Reyes for the sequel to Sound of Freedom.
The Utah State Legislature approved an audit into Reyes on November 14, 2023 due to questions about his relationship with Ballard and OUR. Legislators say they still have questions about the lack of time Reyes spends in Utah.
Reyes has refused to release copies of his schedule despite a ruling from the Utah State Records Committee indicating his calendar is a public record.
At the time, Reyes said he welcomed the audit.
Reyes was elected to chair the Republican Attorneys General Association on November 15, 2023.
Also in November, the Pittsburgh Steelers issued a statement to FOX 13 News indicating Head Coach Mike Tomlin was no longer associated with Ballard or OUR.
Rumors of Reyes' future resignation began approximately one week prior to his December 8, 2023 announcement. Many inside the Utah AG's Office were surprised, especially after Reyes' statements made in September confirming he would be running for a fourth term.
Plaintiffs now say they are happy to learn of Reyes' withdrawal and that they accept his apology.
"Mr. Reyes is the first and only person so far to accept responsibility for past misjudgments and for his role in supporting Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad," said attorney Suzette Rasmussen in a statement. "The victims view this as a positive first step."
The attorneys declined to comment when asked whether the lawsuit against Reyes will be dropped.