Rubicon Files Federal Complaint Against Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes Over Alleged False Human-Trafficking Charges
Rubicon workers have filed a federal complaint against former Utah attorney general Sean Reyes and the Utah attorney general's office alleging the use of false information to file a politically motivated human-trafficking case against the company.
The complaint asserts that the charged crimes were false and caused substantial damage to Rubicon, noting that the charges were dismissed in 2024. Earlier, Rubicon and its parent company filed a separate lawsuit seeking $1 billion in damages, alleging officials conspired to manufacture bogus charges to inflate public fear of trafficking in Utah.
Sean Reyes, a longtime Trump ally, has been linked to roles and endorsements involving Trump, including praise at the 2020 Republican National Convention and serving as Utah co-chair for Trump's re-election campaign. He was reportedly encouraged to run for Senate in 2024.
On November 20, 2023, the Utah attorney general’s Secure Strike Force raided Rubicon's offices with a local Fox News crew and charged the company with more than 50 trafficking-related crimes. This raid followed an audit of Reyes’s ties to Tim Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). Ballard faces sexual assault allegations, which he denies, and the Salt Lake City district attorney declined to file charges.
A judge in 2024 found the charges against Rubicon were premature and that many warrants were obtained using false information; following this, the attorney general’s office dismissed the charges.
Rubicon employees Dario Benitez and Scott Bennion, plaintiffs in the complaint, highlighted the raid’s impact, including layoffs, reduced hours and pay, loss of over 50% of contracts, and emphasized the need to restore accuracy and trust amid the allegations.
The Utah attorney general’s office and Sean Reyes did not respond to requests for comment and had previously declined to comment on the initial Rubicon lawsuit.
