Sean Reyes reacts to allegations against Tim Ballard by avoiding endorsement
Jenny Goldsberry
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Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes announced Friday that he will not issue an endorsement for the Senate race.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) will not be running for reelection after serving a single term in the seat. Currently, there are only two other candidates who have announced they are running: local Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs and the Utah Speaker of the House Brad Wilson, both Republicans. Reyes claimed to be holding out on an endorsement for who he referred to as a “dear friend of mine who is a great conservative, patriot, and warrior.” This implicated former Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard.
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https://twitter.com/SeanReyesUT/status/1707745279888462196
Ballard and Reyes had gone on missions to rescue trafficked children as part of Ballard’s Operation Underground Railroad. In a recent film released on Ballard’s life, Reyes was listed as a producer. However, during a Thursday press conference, allegations were made against Ballard of sexual misconduct, which led to Reyes issuing a statement to express his surprise.
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by these allegations, but these women must be heard to ensure all credible evidence can be presented. Such evidence should be appropriately considered by any tribunal that can weigh them against contrary evidence or defenses of the accused. I sincerely hope there is due process and justice for all involved,” Reyes wrote in a statement.
“Until we know more through the resolution of these cases and complaints, I strongly believe that Tim Ballard and OUR deserve a presumption of innocence just as women coming forward on these issues should have a presumption of credibility,” Reyes said.
The allegations against Ballard, which he has denied, come from anonymous women who also worked with OUR and, at times, took on the role of Ballard’s wife during missions. They allege Ballard insisted they sleep in the same bed and shower together.
“As with all of the assaults on my character and integrity over many years, the latest tabloid-driven sexual allegations are false. They are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children,” Ballard told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “During my time at O.U.R., I designed strict guidelines for myself and our operators in the field. Sexual contact was prohibited, and I led by example. Given our meticulous attention to this issue, any suggestion of inappropriate sexual contact is categorically false.”
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Reyes said that in his involvement with OUR, he did not see anything “improper or illegal.”
Ballard left OUR earlier this year, with Matt Osborne serving as its president since February, according to his LinkedIn profile.