"Exploring LDS Church Excommunication amid Tim Ballard's Allegations: Is He Related to M. Russell Ballard?"

Tim Ballard, founder of anti-s*x trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad, resigns amid s*xual harassment allegations and LDS Church condemnation.

Tim Ballard, a well-known anti-child slavery activist, motivational speaker, and author, has recently made headlines after resigning from his position as CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), the anti-sex trafficking organization he founded. The resignation came in late June but was only reported by Vice on September 18.

The reason behind Ballard's resignation is the emergence of sexual harassment allegations made by at least seven female employees of O.U.R. The organization itself launched an investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct. Ballard's resignation coincided with the investigation.

In addition to the allegations from O.U.R. employees, Ballard faced public condemnation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), of which he was a member. The LDS Church publicly criticized Ballard for his morally unacceptable behavior and for using the church's name and the name of its president, M. Russell Ballard, for personal gain.

It is important to note that Tim Ballard and M. Russell Ballard are not related, despite sharing the same last name. The LDS Church clarified in a statement that the two had a friendship that ended due to Tim Ballard's sexual misconduct allegations. Furthermore, Tim Ballard's church membership was reported to have been revoked, and all information about him has been removed from the LDS Church's official website.

The LDS Church emphasized that M. Russell Ballard never authorized the use of his name or the church's name for Tim Ballard's personal or financial interests. The church also stated that they never endorsed, funded, supported, or represented O.U.R., Tim Ballard, or any projects associated with them.

The allegations against Tim Ballard involve inviting female employees and volunteers to accompany him on business trips abroad, where they were expected to act as his wife. It is alleged that he forced these women to share the same bed or take showers together, claiming it was necessary to deceive traffickers.

Two victims who shared their stories anonymously stated that they received semi-nude photographs of Tim Ballard flexing his fake tattoos or were asked how far they were willing to go to rescue enslaved children.

Operation Underground Railroad released a statement to The Guardian, stating that Ballard has been permanently separated from the organization. However, specific details of the allegations were not disclosed. The organization expressed its commitment to combating sexual abuse and stated that it does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination within its ranks. An independent law firm has been hired to conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the matter.

During a speech in Boston, as part of the American Covenant Tour, Ballard denied all allegations and dismissed the LDS Church's condemnation of him, stating that nothing being said about him is true.

It is worth noting that Tim Ballard has a history of working in the field of anti-child sex trafficking and slavery. He served as a special advisor to former President Donald Trump on these issues and was a member of the White House anti-trafficking advisory board. He has also worked for the CIA and Homeland Security. Additionally, Ballard is known for his ultra-conservative views and has been linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory. There were reports that he was considering running for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah.

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