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‘Someone’s Gotta Tell the Freakin’ Truth’: Jerry Falwell’s Aides Break Their Silence
More than two dozen current and former Liberty University officials describe a culture of fear and self-dealing at the largest Christian college in the world.
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politico.com/magazine/story…
‘Someone’s Gotta Tell the Freakin’ Truth’: Jerry Falwell’s Aides Break Their Silence
More than two dozen current and former Liberty University officials describe a culture of fear and self-dealing at the largest Christian college in the world.
1/
politico.com/magazine/story…
Sounds like Trump and family:
Falwell and his wife consolidated power at LU and how Falwell presides over a culture of self-dealing, directing university resources into projects and real estate deals in which his friends and family have stood to make personal financial gains.
Falwell and his wife consolidated power at LU and how Falwell presides over a culture of self-dealing, directing university resources into projects and real estate deals in which his friends and family have stood to make personal financial gains.
Among the previously unreported revelations are Falwell’s decision to hire his son Trey’s company to manage a shopping center owned by LU, Falwell’s advocacy for loans given by LU to his friends, and Falwell’s awarding university contracts to businesses owned by his friends.
“We’re not a school; we’re a real estate hedge fund,” said a senior university official with inside knowledge of Liberty’s finances. “We’re not educating; we’re buying real estate every year and taking students’ money to do it.”
Liberty employees detailed other instances of Falwell’s behavior that they see as falling short of the standard of conduct they expect from conservative Christian leaders, from partying at nightclubs, to graphically discussing his sex life with employees, to electioneering
#PollRigging
in the run-up to Trump’s campaign, Cohen hired John Gauger, a LU employee who runs a private consulting firm, to manipulate online polls in Trump’s favor.
Not previously reported is the fact that when Gauger traveled to NYC to collect payment from Cohen, he was
in the run-up to Trump’s campaign, Cohen hired John Gauger, a LU employee who runs a private consulting firm, to manipulate online polls in Trump’s favor.
Not previously reported is the fact that when Gauger traveled to NYC to collect payment from Cohen, he was
joined by Trey Falwell, a vice president at Liberty. During that trip, Trey posted a now-deleted photo to Instagram of around $12,000 in cash spread on a hotel bed, raising questions about his knowledge of Gauger’s poll-rigging work.
“It’s a dictatorship,” one current high-level employee of the school said. “Nobody craps at the university without Jerry’s approval.”
“Everybody is scared for their life. Everybody walks around in fear,” said a current LU employee who agreed to speak only after purchasing a
“Everybody is scared for their life. Everybody walks around in fear,” said a current LU employee who agreed to speak only after purchasing a
burner phone, fearing that Falwell was monitoring their communications.
The fear is not limited to Liberty’s campus. Several people who lack any tie to Liberty but live in the school’s hometown of Lynchburg, VA, refused to go on the record for this story, fearing Falwell would
The fear is not limited to Liberty’s campus. Several people who lack any tie to Liberty but live in the school’s hometown of Lynchburg, VA, refused to go on the record for this story, fearing Falwell would
take revenge upon them and their families. “Fear is probably his most powerful weapon,”
Many of the people who werer interviewed are Trump supporters which adds a sense of wierdness:
“We’re talking about the difference between right and wrong,” a current high-ranking university
Many of the people who werer interviewed are Trump supporters which adds a sense of wierdness:
“We’re talking about the difference between right and wrong,” a current high-ranking university
official said. “Not even ‘being a Christian,’ but being a good person, versus people who manipulate the system”
“Until Big Jerry died, you wouldn’t have known [Becki] if she walked up and slapped you,” “Big Jerry dies, and all of a sudden, [if] you’re walking down the hall and
“Until Big Jerry died, you wouldn’t have known [Becki] if she walked up and slapped you,” “Big Jerry dies, and all of a sudden, [if] you’re walking down the hall and
you didn’t greet her right, you’re fired.”
After Big Jerry's death, Becki pushed to shrink Jonathan’s role at the university—a move current and former Liberty officials described as the start of Jerry and Becki consolidating power.
After Big Jerry's death, Becki pushed to shrink Jonathan’s role at the university—a move current and former Liberty officials described as the start of Jerry and Becki consolidating power.
“Jerry never removed Jonathan,” a former top Liberty official said. “He just kind of pushed him aside.”
LU has transformed under Jr.’s leadership. When he took over as pres in 2007, the school, which is nonprofit 😶, had listed assets of just over $259M on its then most recent
LU has transformed under Jr.’s leadership. When he took over as pres in 2007, the school, which is nonprofit 😶, had listed assets of just over $259M on its then most recent
IRS Form 990; in its filing for the fiscal year ending in June 2017, its assets surpassed $2.5B. That number is now more than $3 billion
That growth is driven largely by a vast increase in the number of online students at the school, who now number some 95,000
That growth is driven largely by a vast increase in the number of online students at the school, who now number some 95,000
Many Falwell confidants are concerned with where they see that university tuition money going: into university-funded construction and real estate projects that enrich the Falwell family and their friends.
Falwell informed several LU execs that Trey was starting a new co to do the management of props owned by the school, including the shopping center. Trey is now a VP of LU. As the address of its principal office he gave the location of a house where he and his wife, Sarah, resided
@IRSnews
Experts on tax law and nonprofit organizations said that having the pres of a nonprofit univ directing unive business to a company led by his son would be troubling
“It raises red flags to have your kids being able to profit off the activities of the organization,”
Experts on tax law and nonprofit organizations said that having the pres of a nonprofit univ directing unive business to a company led by his son would be troubling
“It raises red flags to have your kids being able to profit off the activities of the organization,”
@IRSnews July 2014, Falwell, Trey and Moon traveled to Miami. Falwell said that he recalls “discussing University business” on the trip.
During the trip, photos were taken of Jerry and Trey partying at a Miami nightclub—photos that multiple LU officials said Jerry tried to make disappear
During the trip, photos were taken of Jerry and Trey partying at a Miami nightclub—photos that multiple LU officials said Jerry tried to make disappear
@IRSnews Falwell—the president of a conservative Christian college that frowns upon co-ed dancing (Liberty students can receive demerits if seen doing it) and prohibits alcohol use (for which students can be expelled)—was angry that photos of him clubbing made it up online
I BET😜
I BET😜
@IRSnews Cohen had hired Gauger, a Liberty employee, to rig the poll in Trump’s favor for the purposes of garnering support ahead of his presidential bid.
“A 501(c)(3) organization trying to influence a poll so that a candidate’s fortunes are promoted or demoted is not permitted,”
“A 501(c)(3) organization trying to influence a poll so that a candidate’s fortunes are promoted or demoted is not permitted,”
@IRSnews May 2019 Cohen helped Falwell contain the fallout from some racy “personal” photos
Longtime Liberty officials told me the he has shown or texted his male confidants—including at least one employee who worked for him at LU—photos of his wife in provocative and sexual poses.
Longtime Liberty officials told me the he has shown or texted his male confidants—including at least one employee who worked for him at LU—photos of his wife in provocative and sexual poses.
@IRSnews 🤮 In a car ride with a sr LU official who has since left, “all he wanted to talk about was how he would nail his wife, how she couldn’t handle [his penis size], and stuff of that sort,”on at least one occasion, Falwell shared a photo of Becki wearing a French maid costume
@IRSnews Falwell intended to send the image to his and Becki’s personal trainer, Ben Crosswhite, as a “thank you” for helping his wife achieve her fitness goals, In the course of texting, Falwell accidentally sent the message to several other people, necessitating a cleanup
@IRSnews OK, I'm done threading this freak show. You can read the rest here:
politico.com/magazine/story…
@threadreaderapp unroll please
politico.com/magazine/story…
@threadreaderapp unroll please
