Utah attorney general drops reelection bid amid scrutiny about his ties to a sexual assault suspect
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who has been under scrutiny for his decade-long friendship with the controversial founder of an anti-child trafficking organization, announced Friday that he will not seek re-election in 2024.
The Republican had announced in September that he would seek a fourth term. Reyes is now reversing that decision and has pledged to devote his final year as president to investigating the sexual abuse claims against his longtime friend Tim Ballard.
Ballard, the now-ousted founder of the nonprofit Operation Underground Railroad, has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women and is the subject of a criminal investigation. His organization rose to prominence last summer as the centerpiece of the film “Sound of Freedom,” which was widely praised by conservative moviegoers and included a producing credit for the attorney general.
In a video announcement, Reyes said he sat down with each person who made allegations and told them he believed them and was heartbroken over the trauma they had endured.
“I have apologized to each of them for the fact that my past friendship with Tim Ballard and my previous collaboration with OUR contributed to an environment in which they felt powerless and without a voice for years,” he said. “I can't give them back those voiceless years, but I plan to spend my last year in office working with these survivors and all others who come forward so their voices are heard.”
Suzette Rasmussen, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said her clients accepted Reyes' apology and respect that he was “the first and only person” to take responsibility for his role in supporting Ballard.
The SPEAR Fund, an organization that has issued statements on Ballard's behalf, did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment on Reyes' comments. Ballard has previously denied the sexual abuse allegations.
Despite Reyes' recent efforts to distance himself from Ballard, a bipartisan group of more than two dozen Utah state lawmakers initiated an audit of his office last month, questioning his administrative practices, spending and close ties to Ballard . The state is now investigating whether Reyes used state resources to aid Operation Underground Railroad or the film, and whether he cooperated with outside prosecutors investigating his friend's organization.
Reyes is named as a defendant in a lawsuit against Ballard that alleges he abused his position as attorney general to silence a critic of the nonprofit.
Protecting children and other vulnerable Utahns from human trafficking and illegal drugs is central to his platform as attorney general, Reyes said.
His office has sued insulin makers and pharmacy benefit managers over the high cost of the hormone needed to treat diabetes. It also sued Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — alleging the companies violated Utah consumer protection laws by designing platforms that lead children to overuse them and cause serious mental health problems.
He has also courted controversy in Utah for his strong support of former President Donald Trump.
After the 2020 election, Reyes faced backlash from key Utah Republicans, including then-Gov. Larry Herbert, when he became involved in a lawsuit in Texas that unsuccessfully sought to invalidate the results of the US presidential race by challenging electoral votes in four battleground states won by Democrat Joe Biden.
He also signed several court documents, including an amicus brief opposing a silence order against Trump in the criminal case alleging Trump plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Reyes signed another brief arguing that the government went too far in searching for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.
State Democrats on Friday accused Reyes of using his position for political and personal gain and urged him to leave office before the end of his term.
“While his decision not to run for re-election is good news for the people of Utah, who deserve a competent, ethical, and responsible Attorney General, he should resign rather than continue to abuse law in the coming year.” his position of authority and failure to do the work of the state. people,” said party chair Diane Lewis.
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Associated Press reporters Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Montana, and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.