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Tim Ballard, the former Homeland Security special agent who inspired the surprise box office hit Sound of Freedom, has fallen out of favor with a prominent leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elder Ballard, who is Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is a respected member of the church and is seen as a moral and spiritual authority. He allegedly urged Tim Ballard to leave Homeland Security to create the Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) organization.

Tim Ballard left OUR in June, days before Sound of Freedom's July release. It is alleged that he departed from OUR following employee complaints about his conduct. And there was an internal investigation. He is now with the SPEAR Fund, a new anti-trafficking organization.

Public records reveal that the Ballards were described as having had exceptionally close ties as friends and colleagues. According to Vice News Tim and Mormon President M. Russell Ballard are now no longer close.

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Tim Ballard details

Ballard gained fame after Jim Caviezel portrayed him in the Eduardo Verástegui-directed movie, The Sound of Freedom. It is currently the 10th highest-grossing film this year. And has brought in over $183 million. 

The film told Tim’s story as he set up OUR, an anti-child-trafficking organization. And was active around the globe in efforts to save children who had been trafficked.

Tim Ballard also served on an anti-trafficking White House advisory council during Donald Trump's presidency between late 2019 and 2020.

And he is now claiming that he is "very seriously considering" running for Mitt Romney's Utah Senate seat.

A spokesperson for the church has allegedly told Vice News that although Elder Ballard once had a close relationship with Tim Ballard—to whom he is not related—the OUR founder "betrayed their friendship, through the unauthorized use of President Ballard's name for Tim Ballard's personal advantage and activity regarded as morally unacceptable."

Any specific action described as "morally unacceptable" has not been specified.

"It's not true, nothing you hear is true," Tim Ballard denies the accusations. "This is breaking down my family like you can't believe."

SPEAR statement

In a statement shared with Newsweek via the SPEAR Fund, Tim Ballard said: "Evil pedophiles will stop at nothing, and they have allies in government, in the media, in big corporations, and even in public institutions. They continue to lie about and attempt to destroy my good name...and they will never stop.

"I want everyone to know that I and our vast army of supporters will likewise never stop. We will keep fighting for the vulnerable all over the globe, and we know that the truth will always prevail."

"I am a faithful Member in good standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," the statement said. "I believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Scriptures, and I believe in our faith with my whole heart. That will never change."

Ballard went on to question the veracity of the statement accusing him of "morally unacceptable" behavior, adding that his church "has not publicly verified its authenticity."

He concluded that "nothing will change my core beliefs. If someone within the church did release this statement, I am absolutely confident that the right people will step in and ensure that proper due process is followed as the rules of our church dictate."

"He has permanently separated from O.U.R.," read the statement, in part.

The spokesperson added that OUR "is confident in its future as the leading organization committed to combatting sex trafficking and saving children who have been captured and sold into slavery."

OUR Investigation

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

"To preserve the integrity of its investigation and to protect the privacy of all persons involved, O.U.R. will not make any further public comment at this time."

"He has permanently separated from O.U.R.," read the statement, in part.

The spokesperson added that OUR "is confident in its future as the leading organization committed to combatting sex trafficking and saving children who have been captured and sold into slavery."

It is not verified whether Tim was accused of wrongdoing. And the investigation appears to be closed.

Criminal Investigation closed

According to Vice News, OUR faced a now-closed criminal investigation conducted jointly by the FBI and a Utah county attorney, Prosecutor Troy Rawlings.

No charges were filed against Ballard or OUR. 

According to the report, criminal investigators were interested in the link between “Ballard, the church, and a psychic medium called Janet Russon, who was listed as the executive director of Children Need Families at OUR.”

Rawlings office carried out a now-closed investigation into OUR. He claims to have "10,000 pages" of psychic readings. The Tim and his wife leaned on the Psychics insights. The psychic "talks to dead Mormon leaders, particularly a Mormon Prophet from 600BC named Nephi, to get intel."

Rawlings was concerned that OUR donors had not been "made aware" that its paramilitary operations were guided by medium Russon, via a Mormon prophet who had died thousands of years ago.

Utah-based Tim Ballard also said that the success of Sound of Freedom, has made it impossible to continue undercover work. And making a move to the Senate an attractive alternative.

He said that he was "highly suspicious about the timing of such a statement given its close proximity to Mitt Romney's announcement that he is retiring, and my own public comments that I am prayerfully considering running for public office. The LDS church does not engage in political activity."