Social media video by Idaho businessman Russell Brunson appears to contradict LDS statement of being uninvolved with O.U.R. founder Tim Ballard

EDITOR’S NOTE: ABC4.com is reposting an updated version of this story after originally publishing it and taking it down on the evening of Nov. 7, 2023. An internal review found the original story did not meet our reporting standards. No institution, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asked us to pull the story down. The decision was made by ABC4.com for journalistic reasons.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A social media video posted by Eagle, Idaho, businessman Russell Brunson has raised questions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ involvement with Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) and its founder, Tim Ballard.

Everything to know about the Tim Ballard controversies

Ballard has come under fire for some of his activities during his leadership of O.U.R., including allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual trafficking. The organization is dedicated to fighting human trafficking, and Ballard was the subject of this summer’s hit movie, Sound of Freedom.

Ballard previously had ties to the church through a friendship with the late Quorum of Twelve Acting President M. Russell Ballard (no relation), as confirmed by a statement released by the church on Sept. 15. M. Russell Ballard passed away at the age of 95 on Nov. 13.

The LDS Church denounced Tim Ballard’s activities, saying he used his relationship with the acting president for financial gain and calling his actions “morally unacceptable.”

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints never endorsed, supported or represented O.U.R., Tim Ballard, or any projects associated with them,” the statement said.

Brunson, the co-founder of Idaho digital marketing firm ClickFunnels, posted a video on Sept. 16 in which he appears to contradict the church’s statement.

Brunson claimed M. Russell Ballard personally introduced him to Tim Ballard as a potential partner for O.U.R.’s activities. All three men spoke about that work together, he said.

“It’s interesting, because the way I found out about Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad was actually from Elder Ballard,” Brunson said in his social media video (0:54 in the video). “He personally called me and asked me to help Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad. I have literally sat in the room with Elder Ballard and Tim Ballard as we discussed these things and these ideas.”

Brunson declined to comment when ABC4.com attempted to reach him for further clarification. ABC4.com also reached out to the Church by phone and email for further clarification, but they declined to comment further on the matter, reaffirming their original statement.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints denounces claims made by OUR former leader Tim Ballard

Who is Russell Brunson?

Brunson got his start in business after developing the ZipBrander software with his partner, Todd Dickerson, who now serves as ClickFunnels’ chief strategy officer, according to the bio on his website.

Brunson and Dickerson founded ClickFunnels in 2014 as a service to help entrepreneurs navigate digital marketing and use it to drive web commerce. Brunson’s website says the company has 100,000 active users, and the company “grew to $100,000,000 in the first three years.” The website also claims to have created more than 1,000 millionaires as of 2020.

In the years since ClickFunnels’ founding, Brunson has created or become involved with seven more businesses, including three marketing websites, a women’s health and lifestyle website, a site dedicated to “personality and behavioral assessments” and a non-alcoholic beverage company, all of which are linked on his website.

Brunson is also a YouTuber with over 300,000 subscribers and he hosts a podcast via his Marketing Secrets brand. His personal Instagram boats over 1.3 million followers.

On Brunson’s personal website, he also has a link to ClickFunnels’ involvement with O.U.R., including access to a documentary the company produced in conjunction with O.U.R. and director Nick Nanton called Operation Toussaint. The site claims in small print about the documentary: “Net proceeds will go toward the efforts of modern-day slave stealers to eradicate slavery.”

Former Marine sues Tim Ballard and OUR over sexual assault claims

The social media video

In the wake of the Sept. 15 statement by the church, Tim Ballard was recorded on video while in Boston addressing an outdoors crowd. He denied all allegations against him. He refused to believe the church had actually released the statement denouncing him, he said.

“I don’t believe the church did this,” Ballard said. “I truly don’t. Could you imagine that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would publicly condemn one of its members?”

Brunson’s social media video posted the next day, Sept. 16, focused on this same idea.

Brunson defended Tim Ballard, claiming the LDS statement was “not true” (1:21 in the video) and had been obtained, in his opinion, from a “…rogue employee who got fired because they were bad at their job…” (6:46 in the video) at the church.

Brunson claimed the statement could not have come from the church because he was “literally in the room” (1:22 in the video) with both Ballards.

Brunson, a self-proclaimed devout Saint, claimed he was “making this video as somebody who doesn’t just have third-hand knowledge or who read an article, about an article, about an article. [But] as someone who has been involved with it, with [Tim Ballard] and the group for a long, long time.” (0:38 in the video)

He appeared to contradict the church’s statement that they had not “endorsed” Ballard, noting that M. Russell Ballard had set up the introduction and then continued to discuss the matter.

“He [Tim Ballard] is being attacked from the outside,” Brunson said in the video (6:27 in the video). “This is not the truth. Again, that is coming from someone who literally, I’ve been in the room with him and Elder Ballard talking about these things, okay? I’ve been in the rooms. Elder Ballard’s the one that introduced me. Tim never came to me and like told me some big story, and like tried to get me in. It was the opposite way around. Fully you need to understand this is the way it actually worked; this is the actual truth.”

A complete transcription of Brunson’s social media video can be read below.

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