REVEALED: Utah DA closed criminal investigation into Operation Underground Railroad, Tim Ballard in March

It has been revealed that the Davis County district attorney's office closed its investigation into Operation Underground Railroad in March. DA Troy Rawlings found no evidence that the anti-human trafficking organization had engaged in "communications fraud, witness tampering and retaliation against a witness, victim or informant," as was alleged.

Not long after, founder and now-former CEO Tim Ballard resigned amid a separate internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. 

According to the Deseret News, the DA's investigation into Operation Underground Railroad officially ended on March 28, 2023, around two and a half years after it was first publicly confirmed.

Rawlings made his decision after he and his office reviewed financial audits, information provided by law enforcement, and details about the organization's work. 

"In sum, the Davis County Attorney's Office does not believe that the decision to pursue charges against O.U.R. or any individuals associated with O.U.R. is prudent," he wrote in a declination.

On June 22, Ballard quietly stepped down from his position as CEO, and cut all ties with the organization he founded. At the time, it was unclear what led to his abrupt departure, however, the aforementioned internal investigation was eventually brought to light.

On Monday, VICE News reported that Operation Underground Railroad confirmed  Ballard "permanently separated" from the organization due to allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him by at least seven women, which were corroborated in an anonymous letter that had been circulating in Utah's philanthropic community over the past several months.

"OUR is dedicated to combatting sexual abuse, and does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination by anyone in its organization," a statement to VICE News read.

"OUR retained an independent law firm to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all relevant allegations, and OUR continues to assess and improve the governance of the organization and protocols for its operations."

The organization stated that it would not make any further public comments on the matter.
 

The women alleged that while on undercover missions, Ballard asked them to act as his "wife," which included sharing a bed and showering together, among other things.

Ballard, a married father of nine whose work inspired the box office hit Sound of Freedom, has denied all the allegations.

"As with all of the assaults on my character and integrity over many years, the latest tabloid-driven sexual allegations are false," he said in a statement. "They are baseless inventions designed to destroy me and the movement we have built to end the trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable children."

"During my time at OUR, 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."