Tim Ballard, former DHS agent and founder of The Spear Fund, has reportedly stepped away from the Nazarene Fund and Operation Underground Railroad.
Ballard is the focal point and inspiration of the film Sound of Freedom, released through Angel Studios, which is inspired by Ballard’s experience rescuing trafficked children through Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), which Ballard founded in 2013.
The film depicts Ballard’s previous work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on the International Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and a subsequent 2014 sting operation with O.U.R. in Cartagena, Colombia after leaving DHS.
Ballard also served as CEO on Glenn Beck's Nazarene Fund which also assisted in rescuing victims of trafficking.
“Tim Ballard is no longer the CEO of the Nazarene Fund,” the organization said in a statement, per Vice. “The Nazarene Fund continues to be focused on our mission to Rescue, Rebuild and Restore."
"There are so many people around the world who are in need of our unique services and we are grateful for the support we receive to help us accomplish our mission.”
The Nazarene Fund did not respond to follow up questions regarding Ballard's departure. A representative for Ballard did not respond for comment, per the outlet.
Last week, Ballard "quietly parted ways" with O.U.R., according to a Motherboard report.
Ballard had reportedly "gone to donors in a state of upset,” claimed he had been forced out of the organization, and requested assistance in creating a new organization. Another source reportedly said Ballard was no longer with O.U.R. and was instead working with the Nazarene Fund. A third source also reportedly corroborated the claim of Ballard's departure from O.U.R., per the outlet.
“Founder Tim Ballard has recently stepped away from Operation Underground Railroad prior to launch of the film, ‘Sound of Freedom’” one O.U.R. representative told Motherboard. “Matt Osborne continues to serve as the President and COO of the organization.”
Recently, Ballard has launched a new organization, the Spear Fund, which will also fight child trafficking.
In a Fox News news interview last week, Ballard responded to critics of Sound of Freedom who referred to the movie as a "QAnon film."
Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade played a clip from a Friday CNN segment in which author Mike Rothschild referred to the film’s creation as a result of “moral panic.”
“They’re created out of bogus statistics. They’re created out of fear,” Rothschild said. “With something like Sound of Freedom, it specifically is looking at QAnon concepts of these child-trafficking rings that are run by the high-level elites. And only people like Tim Ballard, or people only like Jim Caviezel — and by extension, only people like the ticket buyer, can help bring these trafficking rings down.”
“I think of the children that are really depicted in that film. I know what happened to them,” Ballard said. “Those children were the subjects of child rape videos. Those children were being sold for sex.”
Ballard noted in total over 120 children are rescued from traffickers in the film.
“These are real kids. I see them. I’m still friends with them,” he continued. “It’s embarrassing and frankly grotesque for this guy who knows nothing to start throwing out terms like QAnon connecting it to a real story.”
“It feels like there’s some other agenda, cause why do this?”
