Utah AG won't seek re-election amid controversy tied to anti-sex-trafficking group

Driving the news: In a 10-minute video posted Friday afternoon, Reyes said sexual abuse allegations against Ballard "weighed into" his decision to leave office.

• Ballard "stepped away" from OUR this summer after multiple women accused him of sexual assault and harassment.
• Ballard's departure occurred just as he and the organization were gaining fame thanks to the hit film "The Sound of Freedom," which is based on Ballard.

What they're saying: "Over the course of multiple days, I sat with these women and one man, all with their attorneys present," Reyes said. "After hearing their stories in person, I believe them. I apologized to each of them that my past friendship with Tim Ballard and strong association with OUR contributed to an environment that made them feel powerless and without a voice to fight back for many years."

• Reyes also said he wanted to spend more time with his family and return to private practice.

The intrigue: A lawsuit filed late last month accused Reyes of using his clout to intimidate and silence critics of Ballard and OUR.

Catch up quick: Reyes was one of Ballard's and OUR's most visible political supporters.

• He joined Ballard on raids in Haiti and Colombia.
• His LinkedIn profile previously identified Reyes as an associate producer on "Sound of Freedom" before mentioning he was also the attorney general of Utah.
• OUR has partnered with multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Utah AG's office.

Zoom in: Reyes opted against endorsing Ballard in the race for U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney's soon-to-be vacated seat after exposés by Vice News and Utah-based freelance journalist Lynn Packer brought the sexual misconduct allegations to light.

Yes, but: Questions about Reyes' ties to Ballard remained as records emerged from a now-closed criminal investigation into whether Ballard and OUR misled donors.

• Meanwhile, the Salt Lake Tribune last month uncovered thousands of dollars in luxury travel expenses paid by Reyes' campaign funds.

What we're watching: Last month, state lawmakers requested an audit of the AG's office to learn about travel expenditures, general governance and culture of the office and whether Reyes tried to influence the investigation into Ballard and OUR.

What's next: The AG's office will conduct a "statewide investigation of Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, the Spear Fund or others to determine what criminal conduct occurred, if any, relating to the complaints made," Reyes said. The Spear Fund is another nonprofit launched by Ballard.

• He will recuse himself from the investigation, he added.
• He encouraged witnesses with "relevant information" to contact the AG's office.

Meanwhile, the Utah Democratic Party on Friday called on Reyes to resign.

• "While his decision not to run for re-election is good news for Utahns, who deserve a competent, ethical, and accountable Attorney General, he should resign instead of spending the next year continuing to abuse his position of authority and failing to do the work of the people," Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis said in a written statement.

Flashback: Reyes will be the third consecutive Utah attorney general to leave office amid scandal.

• He was appointed in 2013 to replace former AG John Swallow, who resigned amid investigations into an alleged pay-for-play scheme.
• Swallow and his predecessor, AG Mark Shurtleff, were arrested in 2014 on charges relating to public corruption. Prosecutors dropped their case against Shurtleff in 2016 and in 2017 Swallow was acquitted by a jury.