The Tim Ballard allegations and lawsuits began surfacing publicly in 2023, when multiple women accused the Operation Underground Railroad founder of sexual misconduct during undercover overseas missions. Since then, Ballard has faced civil lawsuits from at least seven women, filed defamation countersuits against them, been cleared without charges by two criminal investigations, and been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He denies all allegations.
What the Women Alleged
The accusations center on what the women described as “the Couples Ruse.” Ballard invited female staff and volunteers to pose as his wife on undercover missions targeting traffickers abroad. Once in the field, the accusers say, he pressured them to share beds and showers with him, coerced sex acts under the pretense of maintaining cover, and used what they called “spiritual manipulation” rooted in their shared Mormon faith to compel compliance.1BBC News. Tim Ballard Allegations
One specific tactic described in the reporting involved alcohol: Ballard would reportedly tell a woman that if traffickers offered her a drink, she should accept it, then kiss him open-mouthed and spit the alcohol into his mouth so he could discreetly dispose of it.1BBC News. Tim Ballard Allegations
An internal O.U.R. investigation, triggered by an employee’s HR complaint, concluded that Ballard had been “deceitfully and extensively grooming and manipulating multiple women for the past few years with the ultimate intent of coercing them to participate in sexual acts with him.”2Vice. Tim Ballard’s Departure From Operation Underground Railroad Followed Sexual Misconduct Investigation He resigned from O.U.R. on June 22, 2023.3NBC News. Tim Ballard Resigned From Operation Underground Railroad Internal documents obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune showed O.U.R.’s board wanted him out within 72 hours, though negotiations extended the process. The organization offered him 18 months of salary totaling $618,000 and a Jeep Grand Cherokee valued at roughly $22,000; Ballard countered with demands including two years of severance, a five-year consulting contract, and signoff rights over public statements about his departure.4Salt Lake Tribune. Operation Underground Railroad
Ballard’s Denials
Ballard has consistently denied every allegation. In a September 2023 statement issued through the SPEAR Fund, the nonprofit where he became a Senior Advisor after leaving O.U.R., he called the accusations “baseless inventions designed to destroy me” and said he had personally designed strict guidelines at O.U.R. that prohibited sexual contact.3NBC News. Tim Ballard Resigned From Operation Underground Railroad O.U.R. issued its own statement categorically denying the allegations as they pertained to the organization.1BBC News. Tim Ballard Allegations
The Civil Lawsuits Against Ballard
On October 9, 2023, five women filed suit in Utah’s Third District Court against Ballard, O.U.R., and the SPEAR Fund, alleging sexual assault, battery, fraud, emotional distress, and conspiracy. Their attorneys pointed to what they called the “tragic irony” of the Sound of Freedom subject matter, alleging that “Tim Ballard literally trafficked them for his own sexual and egotistical gratification.”5NBC News. Tim Ballard, Who Inspired Sound of Freedom, Sued by Five Women
Separately, Ballard’s former executive assistant, Celeste Borys, filed her own lawsuit alleging sexual assault and rape. On July 18, 2025, Third District Judge Todd Shaughnessy dismissed the case with prejudice. The judge found that Borys and her attorneys had improperly used documents obtained from Ballard’s personal email and Google Drive. Borys had retained access to those accounts after resigning and continued to access them on multiple occasions, including after filing her complaint, downloading more than 90 documents. Some were marked attorney-client privileged. Shaughnessy compared her conduct to breaking into Ballard’s office “in the dark of night to secretly photocopy documents from locked file drawers.” He acknowledged Ballard was “careless” for not changing his passwords, but ruled that negligence did not amount to permission.6FOX 13 Now. Lawsuit Dismissed After Judge Says Evidence From Tim Ballard’s Email Cannot Be Used7Salt Lake Tribune. Judge Drops Lawsuit Against Tim Ballard Borys’s attorneys said they were contemplating an appeal. Her husband’s separate lawsuit against Ballard and O.U.R. for fraud, emotional distress, and conspiracy remained active.8People. Lawsuit Against Tim Ballard Dropped
Another plaintiff, Jordana Bree Righter, had her claims dismissed with prejudice on June 27, 2024. The court found they were barred by a release-of-liability clause in her independent contractor agreement and were otherwise factually insufficient.9BKLW Law. Anti-Child Trafficking Rescuer Dismissed With Prejudice From Alleged Abuse Case
A newer plaintiff joined the field in September 2024. Amy Morgan Davis, a former Miss Utah, went public with her allegations in a New York Times article published September 9, 2024, alleging that Ballard had made “escalating sexual advances that included caressing her body with his hands.”10People. Tim Ballard Sues for Defamation After Sexual Assault Claims
Five other women’s lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct remained active as of mid-2025. Reporting noted it was unclear whether the ruling in the Borys case, which concerned evidence some of the other plaintiffs had also submitted, could affect those proceedings.6FOX 13 Now. Lawsuit Dismissed After Judge Says Evidence From Tim Ballard’s Email Cannot Be Used
Ballard’s Defamation Countersuits
In late 2024, Ballard went on the offensive. On September 24, 2024, he sued Davis for defamation. His complaint asserted that her claims were false and that she had attempted to seduce him during a training event in October 2021. Davis characterized the suit as retaliation and moved for its dismissal.10People. Tim Ballard Sues for Defamation After Sexual Assault Claims
In October 2024, Ballard filed a separate defamation suit against six additional accusers: Celeste Borys, Sashaleigh Hightower, Mary Hall, Kira Linch, Krista Kasey, and Bree Righter. Ballard’s attorneys said the suits were filed “reluctantly” to force the women to “withdraw their false claims.” The accusers’ attorney, Alan W. Mortensen, responded that the women welcomed the process, saying they were “glad that Ballard will finally undergo depositions where his lies will finally be under oath and cross-examined.”11NewsNation. Tim Ballard Sues Remaining Six Accusers for Defamation
The Criminal Investigations Declined to File Charges
Two separate criminal investigations examined the sexual assault allegations. Neither resulted in charges.
In November 2023, the Lindon Police Department confirmed Borys had filed a report alleging Ballard sexually assaulted her in 2023. The Utah County Attorney’s Office investigated. As of April 2, 2026, it had declined to file criminal charges.12Salt Lake Tribune. Tim Ballard Following Sex Assault Allegations
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office conducted a broader investigation and officially declined to prosecute on November 14, 2025. Prosecutors stated there was “insufficient admissible evidence to meet the legal burden of proof.” They noted that while survivor accounts were compelling, “critical corroborating evidence is unavailable, and certain necessary elements of the charges cannot be established with the certainty required by the law.” The office said it would revisit the matter if additional evidence emerged. Ballard’s attorney, Mark Eisenhut, said the decision was expected and that Ballard is “innocent.”13Yahoo News. Salt Lake County Declines to File Charges Against Tim Ballard
Excommunication From the LDS Church
In September 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement condemning Ballard for “morally unacceptable behavior” and accusing him of improperly using the name of the late M. Russell Ballard, a senior church leader to whom Tim Ballard is not related, for “personal advantage.” The Church said the late President Ballard had never authorized the use of his name or the Church’s name for Tim Ballard’s personal or financial interests.14FOX 13 Now. New Court Filings Detail Tim Ballard’s Discipline With LDS Church
On November 5, 2025, Tim and Katherine Ballard issued a press release alleging that “entities inside the Church” had used “tabloid defamation” to pressure their local ecclesiastical leader into excommunicating him. They described the effort as coming from “the Deep Church” and said they were denied due process because their leader refused to identify the individuals who had made allegations. The Ballards also claimed that in a March 2025 letter to church authorities, Katherine Ballard stated she had spoken to the late President M. Russell Ballard following the Church’s 2023 statement, and that he denied knowledge of it and said he “never felt betrayed by Tim.”15ABC4 News. Ballard Defamation Excommunication LDS The couple announced a forthcoming docuseries, BackFire: The Excommunication of Tim Ballard, though as of the most recent reporting it had not yet been released.16Yahoo News. Tim Ballard Claims Defamation Conspiracy
Political and Institutional Fallout
The allegations broke months after Sound of Freedom, a film starring Jim Caviezel as a fictionalized Ballard, had cemented his public image as a crusader for exploited children. Ballard had been publicly considering a U.S. Senate run in Utah for 2024. The allegations effectively ended that prospect. Ballard himself later claimed a “massive defamation campaign” involving representatives of the LDS Church was “instrumental” in causing him to lose the Senate bid.15ABC4 News. Ballard Defamation Excommunication LDS
The fallout also reached former Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, a longtime Ballard ally who served on O.U.R.’s advisory board from 2015 to 2020. In September 2023, Reyes publicly withdrew his support, saying he was “shocked and deeply saddened” and would not endorse a Ballard Senate candidacy.17Salt Lake Tribune. Shocked, Deeply Saddened: AG Sean Reyes on Tim Ballard A January 2025 legislative audit later concluded Reyes had “leveraged his position” to promote the nonprofit, creating a “perceived conflict of interest.” Reyes cited his friendship with Ballard and association with O.U.R. as factors in his decision not to seek reelection, apologizing to accusers for contributing to “an environment that made them feel powerless.” The 2024 Utah Legislature passed HB380, prohibiting the Attorney General from engaging in outside legal work.18Utah News Dispatch. Audit: AG Reyes Leveraged His Position to Promote Operation Underground Railroad
Ballard also departed The Nazarene Fund, the Glenn Beck-backed anti-trafficking organization where he had served as CEO; the fund confirmed his exit in July 2023 without providing details.19Vice. Tim Ballard Out as CEO at Glenn Beck-Backed Nazarene Fund By February 2024, O.U.R. had replaced its entire board of directors with a new six-member board chaired by tech executive Sean Vassilaros, with leadership saying the organization would shift away from what one board member called “hero building.”20East Idaho News. Operation Underground Railroad Announces New Leadership After Tim Ballard Ouster