A group of Utah employees has initiated federal legal action against the state’s former attorney general, Sean Reyes, following a high-profile law enforcement operation that they claim was a politically driven fabrication. The lawsuit contends the raid, which was conducted with media in tow, was based on false information and devastated their company and livelihoods.
The plaintiffs, workers at the landscape firm Rubicon, allege that Reyes and officials from his office orchestrated the November 2023 raid under false pretenses. The operation, executed by the attorney general’s Secure Strike Force and broadcast by a news crew, resulted in over 50 criminal charges against the company related to human trafficking—all of which were later dismissed.
According to the complaint, the legal action was a calculated maneuver, coming shortly after state legislators approved an audit of Reyes’s office. The audit was prompted by scrutiny over the former AG’s connections to Tim Ballard, founder of the anti-trafficking group Operation Underground Railroad. Ballard himself faces separate civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault, though no criminal charges have been filed.
A judge ultimately threw out the case against Rubicon in 2024, ruling the charges were filed prematurely and that warrants were secured using incorrect information. The workers’ lawsuit now seeks compensation, arguing the officials knowingly used misleading affidavits and leveraged media coverage to inflict maximum damage.
The financial fallout for employees was severe. Dario Benitez, a Rubicon worker and named plaintiff, described widespread layoffs, pay cuts, and the loss of bonuses in the raid’s aftermath. He stated the company, once a rapidly growing enterprise with no history of workforce reductions, was forced to conduct multiple rounds of layoffs after losing more than half of its contracts.
Scott Bennion, an employee with Rubicon’s parent company, emphasized the suit’s goal is to correct the public record and allow affected individuals to rebuild their lives. He noted that unsubstantiated accusations carry a lasting impact, and restoring factual accuracy is a necessary step toward restoring trust.
Reyes, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump who was once considered for a federal commission role, has not responded to requests for comment on this latest filing. His office also declined to comment on a related billion-dollar lawsuit brought by Rubicon and its parent company, which alleges a conspiracy to fabricate charges for political gain.
The Utah attorney general’s office has offered no public statement on the new litigation.