It’s ‘sweat’ charity

Nonprofit linked to FTC hopeful could face probe

A Utah prosecutor is weighing a criminal probe of a charity closely aligned with state Attorney General Sean Reyes — who is on President Trump’s short list to head the Federal Trade Commission, The Post has learned.

The possible criminal probe follows a complaint received by the Davis County Attorney’s Office that the charity, which fights child sex trafficking, falsely claimed that mon- ies raised in-state were to be used to fight local problems, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The charity, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), whose ambassadors include TV personality Montel Williams, has ranged far beyond the Beehive State in carrying out its goal.

Last month, Reyes — who had been on OUR’s advisory board and promotes the nonprofit — was in Haiti taking part in an undercover raid that rescued dozens of minors from an alleged sex trafficking ring, a Reyes spokesman confirmed.

In 2015, the 46-year-old state attorney general, at an OUR fund-raiser in Kaysville, Utah — in Davis County — told potential donors that “the horrors [of human trafficking] are happening here in Utah,” according to a YouTube video made of the event.

It is a crime in Utah to raise money under false pretenses.

Reyes thinks any allegation that sex trafficking is not an issue in Utah is with- out merit, a spokesman said.

Just look at the case of Jeremy Rettenberger, a Davis County resident who, on Feb. 18, pleaded guilty to seconddegree felony human trafficking in a case centered around forcing two women into prostitution, a Reyes spokesman said.

“It’s very sad that people pursuing their own agendas are trying to distract from the vital mission of saving kids from sex trafficking,” a charity spokeswoman said.

Davis County District At- torney Troy Rawlings received a complaint about OUR fundraising after multiple events by the charity in the area, the source said. Rawlings has not yet decided whether a criminal probe is warranted, the source noted.

Reyes and Interim Chair Maureen Ohlhausen are the leading contenders to take the top spot at the FTC, sources said.

DA Rawlings’ office declined comment on any possible investigation.