Tim Ballard

[Calm]

https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/25/23889696/investigative-reports-question-whether-ex-operation-underground-railroad-ceo-misled-donors
 

Quote

The anti-trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad and its founder and former CEO Tim Ballard may have misled donors for years about purported "rescue" missions, according to investigative documents obtained from a local and federal investigation by KSL.com on Friday.

Ballard, whose experience as a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security was the inspiration for the recent hit film "Sound of Freedom," has often touted the group's dangerous overseas missions to rescue trafficked children. Operation Underground Railroad's website claims it has been involved in more than 4,000 operations and over 6,500 arrests.

While the group was involved in at least one successful operation in Colombia in 2014, some former Operation Underground Railroad staffers allege in the reports that the group is rarely involved in actual rescues, and say that could lead to donors and the public being misled about what the group does.

Quote

One former employee, development director Cherstyn Stockwell, who left the organization in 2019, told investigators that Operation Underground Railroad is a "pass-through organization" that would donate money to other groups that were actually doing the work, according to an interview transcript.

"Cherstyn said OUR is simply a pass-through organization, not really doing the rescues, not really doing the aftercare, just funding it all but does not tell the donors that. ... They wanted to promote that OUR was doing the rescues and all the work," Bryan Purdy, an agent with the Davis County Attorney's Office, wrote in an August 2021 report describing the interview.

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by Calm

[Tacenda]

Watching this youtube on this article, something that I found unexpectedly when searching about Elder Ballard's son in law's supplement business after posting something and @Calm replied to my post. Feeling bad I shared second hand information and also feeling bad if I'm misremembering the information, but haven't found it yet. But thought this was interesting so far....

https://americancrimejournal.com/criminal-investigation-into-o-u-r-expands/

[Calm]

8 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Watching this youtube on this article, something that I found unexpectedly when searching about Elder Ballard's son in law's supplement business after posting something and @Calm replied to my post. Feeling bad I shared second hand information and also feeling bad if I'm misremembering the information, but haven't found it yet. But thought this was interesting so far....

https://americancrimejournal.com/criminal-investigation-into-o-u-r-expands/

I have to admit, I have my doubts about the quality of research this journal does since I have seen them refer to Elder Ballard as the Acting President of the Church multiple times.  Feels rather superficial.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Calm

[Tacenda]

12 minutes ago, Calm said:

I have to admit, I have my doubts about the quality of research this journal does since I have seen them refer to Elder Ballard as the Acting President of the Church multiple times.  Feels rather superficial.

That would bother me too, I'm still watching the youtube and haven't fully read the article. 

[Calm]

44 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

That would bother me too, I'm still watching the youtube and haven't fully read the article. 

The article looks like highlights from the video

[cacheman]

On 9/19/2023 at 1:27 PM, smac97 said:

I am increasingly curious about "Slave Stealers, LLC," as that may be the "for profit" business in which, allegedly, had Tim Ballard characterizing Pres. Ballard as a "silent partner."  A few thoughts:

1. Slave Stealers, LLC is a Utah limited liability company, entity no. 11093965-0160.  It was originally created on 12/13/2018, and its registered agent is "Douglas Edmunds," who is apparently an attorney in St. George (the address given to the state for Edmunds as "Registered Agent" is the same address Edmunds has listed with the Utah State Bar for his office address).

2. I have uploaded to my Google Drive all of the documents submitted to the State of Utah relating to this LLC, which can be downloaded as a single PDF here.

3. Page 1 of the PDF is the "Certificate of Organization" used to create the LLC.  The original "Organizer" (which, I think, may be the same as "member" or "owner") is listed as "Kathryn K. Shelton."  There is a "Kathryn K. Shelton" listed as a paralegal at a law firm in Salt Lake, but I don't know if this is the same person.  No other member of the LLC is listed in this document.

4. Page 2 of the PDF is a record of a change to the LLC filed on February 7, 2020 by "Matthew Starley."  LinkedIn shows a "Matthew Starley" in Ogden, but I don't know if this is the same person.  LinkedIn also has a "Matthew W. Starley" in St. George, and he is an attorney.  I think this is more likely the person who made the change to the LLC.  This document shows Tim Ballard being added as the "Manager" of the LLC, with what looks like a business park address in Farmington.

5.Page 3 of the PDF is a record of a change to the LLC filed on June 4, 2020 by "Stephen Goodman."  This document changes the LLC's address to a business address in St. George, and replaces the original Registered Agent with "HGG Advisors, PLLC," which has the same new St. George address as is given for the LLC.  Per the HGG website, this appears to be an accounting firm.

6. Pages 4-5 of the PDF is a record of a change to the LLC filed on November 11, 2020 by Douglas Edmunds.  In this document the address for the LLC is changed to a business address in Lehi.  Also, Edmunds replaces HGG Advisors as the LLC's registered agent.  Also, "Brian Norton" is listed as the manager of the LLC (apparently alongside Tim Ballard, not in replacement of).  IMDB shows a "Brian Norton" as being a producer, with Tim Ballard, of an upcoming adaptation of Ballard's "Slave Stealers" book.

7. Pages 6-7 of the PDF is a record of a change to the LLC filed on December 23, 2021 by Douglas Edmunds.  In this document the LLC's office address is again changed, this time to Edmunds' law office in St. George.  The addresses for Edmunds and Norton are also changed to the St. George address.

8. Page 8 of the PDF is a record of a change to the LLC filed on December 31, 2022 by Douglas Edmunds.  In this document Tim Ballard is removed as manager (leaving, I think, Brian Norton as the only manager of the LLC).

9. None of the foregoing documents seems to indicate who the "member(s)" of the LLC is/are.  I did a search on the principals (downloadable here), but it only shows the Registered Agent (Edmunds) and the Manager (Norton). 

In sum:

• The documents filed with the state do not appear to disclose who the member(s) (owners) of the LLC is/are.  That seems a bit odd to me.
• The LLC seems to change addresses and registered agents fairly often.
• Tim Ballard not the "manager" of the LLC, and so ostensibly would not have managerial control over it.
• Per the whiteboard presentation in my previous post, Slave Stealers, LLC supposedly has Brian Norton and Tim Ballard, along with "Russell Ballard (silent {partner})."
• Nothing in the LLC documents references Pres. Ballard in any way.

Thanks,

-Smac

  

While the LLC docs don't reference Pres. Ballard. The address on the 2nd document is the address for a company called 'Indulgent Foods LLC'. The contact is Pres. Ballard's son-in-law, Brad Brower. Again... that doesn't mean that Pres. Ballard was involved.  But it does show a family connection of some sort. 

[Calm]

6 hours ago, Tacenda said:

That would bother me too, I'm still watching the youtube and haven't fully read the article. 

From what I gather Marc Jenson has a complicated background.  While he was found innocent in one case, he accepted a plea deal and was serving ten years for another charge.  He may not be a trustworthy source (and it is strange that Packer mentions the case he was found innocent, but says nothing about the case where he accepted a plea deal and went to jail for ten years, comes across as slanted), especially since apparently Elder Ballard fired him according to Lynn Packer (in the video). This is from 2015.  I am looking for something more recent.

https://www.deseret.com/2015/1/30/20557662/jury-exonerates-marc-jenson-in-fraud-money-laundering-trial

https://kutv.com/news/local/one-brother-gets-plea-deal-in-jenson-fraud-trial

https://www.deseret.com/2016/7/28/20592920/shurtleff-exonerated-but-questions-and-large-debts-still-remain

https://www.deseret.com/2013/6/9/20453472/unraveling-shurtleff-and-swallow-s-complicated-relationship-with-a-felon

https://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/official-statement-report-regarding-issues-raised-by-marc-jenson/

https://kjzz.com/news/local/swallow-defense-raises-jenson-cookies-and-text-messages-to-shurtleff

Maybe someone else can find more up to date info.  Maybe even see if he is in prison though it seems unlikely and he should have been out a least by 2021 even if he didn’t get any parole or early release for good behaviour or to relive Covid overcrowding (did Utah do that?  Can’t remember).

Edited September 26, 2023 by Calm

[Tacenda]

1 minute ago, Calm said:

From what I gather Marc Jenson has a complicated background.  While he was found innocent in one case, he accepted a plea deal and was serving ten years for another charge.  He may not be a trustworthy source, especially since apparently Elder Ballard fired him according to Lynn Packer (in the video). This is from 2015.  I am looking for something more recent.

https://www.deseret.com/2015/1/30/20557662/jury-exonerates-marc-jenson-in-fraud-money-laundering-trial

Thanks for this input Calm, I had a lot going on and wasn't able to fully concentrate. 

[Calm]

17 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Thanks for this input Calm, I had a lot going on and wasn't able to fully concentrate. 

No problem, I like playing detective.  

[Calm]

2 hours ago, cacheman said:

While the LLC docs don't reference Pres. Ballard. The address on the 2nd document is the address for a company called 'Indulgent Foods LLC'. The contact is Pres. Ballard's son-in-law, Brad Brower. Again... that doesn't mean that Pres. Ballard was involved.  But it does show a family connection of some sort. 

Where do you see the contact is Brad Brower?

Got to say my family likes Stephen’s Hot Cocoa.

Where did Tim Ballard live in 2020 (just the city if known)?  Why not send it to his own address if it’s his name on the document?  

I assume mail from the State would be sent to that address, but how much mail would that be?  

And it was only at that address for four months and it was listed under Tim Ballard.  Tim Ballard could have asked someone at the company to collect mail for him, possibly Brad Browers as I see he works for Indulgent Foods and it’s listed as up to 10 employees (they must hired other companies to make and distribute their products, I guess?).

Edited September 26, 2023 by Calm

[cacheman]

6 hours ago, Calm said:

Where do you see the contact is Brad Brower?

Got to say my family likes Stephen’s Hot Cocoa.

Where did Tim Ballard live in 2020 (just the city if known)?  Why not send it to his own address if it’s his name on the document?  

I assume mail from the State would be sent to that address, but how much mail would that be?  

And it was only at that address for four months and it was listed under Tim Ballard.  Tim Ballard could have asked someone at the company to collect mail for him, possibly Brad Browers as I see he works for Indulgent Foods and it’s listed as up to 10 employees (they must hired other companies to make and distribute their products, I guess?).

Indulgent Foods (https://indulgentfoods.com) makes and distributes hot cocoa, chai lattes, dipping sauce, and oatmeal. 

Here are a couple links showing Brad Brower as the contact and managing member.

https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Indulgent-Foods,-L.L.C.-801-939-9100

https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/indulgentfoodsl.l.c.-farmington-ut-16367247.html

[Calm]

2 hours ago, cacheman said:

Indulgent Foods (https://indulgentfoods.com) makes and distributes hot cocoa, chai lattes, dipping sauce, and oatmeal. 

Here are a couple links showing Brad Brower as the contact and managing member.

https://www.buzzfile.com/business/Indulgent-Foods,-L.L.C.-801-939-9100

https://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/indulgentfoodsl.l.c.-farmington-ut-16367247.html

So you found the name yourself?

It should be noted that the Brad Brower getting allegedly promoted out of his father-in-law’s church office claim was made two years ago and apparently went nowhere, no one collaborated Marc Jenson’s claims…and given Marc Jenson’s history, everything he claims should be confirmed by someone else before taking it seriously imo.

Edited September 26, 2023 by Calm

[Calm]

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/09/26/operation-underground-railroad/

OUR responses to claims they aren’t doing rescues stating they do multiple missions each week.

I wonder how long a mission typically lasts.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Calm

[Smiley McGee]

42 minutes ago, Calm said:

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/09/26/operation-underground-railroad/

OUR responses to claims they aren’t doing rescues stating they do multiple missions each week.

I wonder how long a mission typically lasts.

“[T]he organization ‘is conducting on average multiple missions a week in operations.’”
 

Such a vague statement so as to be useless. No time period given. What does “conducting” mean? In the field? Meeting about it? If I have only two distinct missions  in development/discussion in an entire year, I can probably phrase this as “conducting on average multiple missions a week in operations” without ever having to leave the office. 
 

They’re probably hoping people interpret this as “we’re in the field extracting or attempting to extract different individuals multiple times each week on average.” No way in hell they have the resources or operational efficiency to do that. 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Smiley McGee

[Calm]

1 hour ago, Smiley McGee said:

No way in hell they have the resources or operational efficiency to do that. 

That is my impression as well though there was the comment somewhere (I think I or someone else posted it here) that they have recently cleaned up their act and are being more professional and less flashy on their missions, but no details provided iirc.

[CMZ]

Is it known when Doug Andersen e-mailed the letter to Vice?

Edited September 28, 2023 by CMZ

[Calm]

2 hours ago, CMZ said:

Is it known when Doug Andersen e-mailed the letter to Vice?

After Vice asked for a statement and before they printed the article. (So not helpful, I know)

They may have sat on the story a few days for better timing, but I doubt they waited very long after they got the statement because the Church might have issued an announcement knowing it was coming.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Calm

[CMZ]

2 hours ago, Calm said:

After Vice asked for a statement and before they printed the article. (So not helpful, I know)

They may have sat on the story a few days for better timing, but I doubt they waited very long after they got the statement because the Church might have issued an announcement knowing it was coming.

Thanks. I've got someone wondering if there was any possibility of finding out the actual date but, as you say, that information may have not escaped onto the Interwebs yet.

[Calm]

25 minutes ago, CMZ said:

Thanks. I've got someone wondering if there was any possibility of finding out the actual date but, as you say, that information may have not escaped onto the Interwebs yet.

I don’t remember seeing it. Is there a particular reason?  I might have seen something else that could help or someone else may have. 
 

The statement was issued very shortly after Vice published to other news media iirc, though whether by agreement with Vice or not, I don’t know. They could have sent the statement to everyone at the same time, but since Vice knew it was coming and didn’t have to confirm anything, they got it up first. 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Calm

[CMZ]

8 minutes ago, Calm said:

I don’t remember seeing it. Is there a particular reason?  I might have seen something else that could help or someone else may have. 
 

The statement was issued very shortly after Vice published to other news media iirc, though whether by agreement with Vice or not, I don’t know. They could have sent the statement to everyone at the same time, but since Vice knew it was coming and didn’t have to confirm anything, they got it up first. 

I'm not certain but I think this person is wondering if Vice's request for comment came before or after Tim saying he was going to run for senate.

[Calm]

19 minutes ago, CMZ said:

I'm not certain but I think this person is wondering if Vice's request for comment came before or after Tim saying he was going to run for senate.

The whiteboard info was made public a year or two ago (April 2021) in a video by Lynn Packer, but it seems not to have been noticed.  Vice has been printing plenty of stuff on OUR for a few years. Their primary focus this time was the sexual improprieties info they learned about from the documents of the Cache Valley investigation. It could have been those that determined the timing or the announcement or something else. Didn’t he just testify to the Senate?

Edited September 28, 2023 by Calm

[SeekingUnderstanding]

Several women have come forward (at least via an attorney). 
 

https://www.ksl.com/article/50740460/former-operation-underground-railroad-employees-accuse-tim-ballard-of-sexual-misconduct

[Tacenda]

12 minutes ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

Several women have come forward (at least via an attorney). 
 

https://www.ksl.com/article/50740460/former-operation-underground-railroad-employees-accuse-tim-ballard-of-sexual-misconduct

I read the comments on KSL and some mention it's just because he said he wants to run for Senate. But I believe there were complaints long before that, short term memory here now I need to go back and read all on this thread.

Thanks for sharing, my husband works with two men who flat out deny any of this is true, even Elder Ballard's denouncement, oy! 🙄

[smac97]

13 minutes ago, SeekingUnderstanding said:

Several women have come forward (at least via an attorney). 

https://www.ksl.com/article/50740460/former-operation-underground-railroad-employees-accuse-tim-ballard-of-sexual-misconduct

From the article: 

Quote

An attorney for several women who used to work for Operation Underground Railroad accused founder and former CEO Tim Ballard of sexual harassment during a press conference on Thursday.

Suzette Rasmussen, who represents several anonymous women who claim to be former employees or contractors for the anti-sex trafficking organization, read a statement from those women on the steps of the Capitol in Salt Lake City.

"As former employees and contractors who worked closely with Operation Underground Railroad, we are choosing to give a public statement about our experiences with Tim Ballard," the statement said. "Earlier this year, complaints were filed that opened the door for an internal investigation. We now stand together to affirm the truth behind these allegations.

"Our involvement with Operation Underground Railroad was rooted in our commitment to fighting against human trafficking," it continued. "But while engaging in that noble cause, we were subjected to sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming and sexual misconduct."

An anonymous and vague and conclusory hearsay statement doesn't really move the ball down the field, evidence-wise.

Quote

Rasmussen didn't provide more details on the allegations and declined to answer most questions from reporters, but the allegations follow reporting from Vice News that Ballard allegedly asked women to act as his "wife" to fool traffickers on undercover missions, and allegedly coerced them into sharing a bed or showering together.

Ballard previously explained what he called the "couples ruse" that was used by undercover operatives to give cover to men posing as potential clients of traffickers.

Yes.  But did that "ruse" involve Ballard coercing women "into sharing a bed {with him} or showering together"?  If yes, then let's hear it.  If not, then what was the "sexual harassment, spiritual manipulation, grooming and sexual misconduct" referenced here?  Who did/said what?  When?  Where?  

Quote

This story will be updated.

I hope so.  We have legal processes whereby claims of misconduct, whether civil or criminal or both, can be examined and vetted and tested by an impartial factfinder (a judge or jury) via the submission of competent, probative, admissible evidence.  So far I have not seen much of this relative to the allegations of sexual misconduct.

Thanks,

-Smac

Thanks,

-Smac

[SeekingUnderstanding]

4 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I read the comments on KSL and some mention it's just because he said he wants to run for Senate. But I believe there were complaints long before that, short term memory here now I need to go back and read all on this thread.

Thanks for sharing, my husband works with two men who flat out deny any of this is true, even Elder Ballard's denouncement, oy! 🙄

"As former employees and contractors who worked closely with Operation Underground Railroad, we are choosing to give a public statement about our experiences with Tim Ballard," the statement said. "Earlier this year, complaints were filed that opened the door for an internal investigation. We now stand together to affirm the truth behind these allegations."

This sounds like these complaints were what lead to him getting fired earlier this year. Unrelated to senate run. His senate run was just his ego getting ahead of him again.