Nobody acquainted with the excesses and systemic dishonesty of the Evangelical Right will be surprised to learn that Liberty University is a bit sketchy behind the pious facade.
Over the past year, Falwell, a prominent evangelical leader and supporter of President Donald Trump, has come under increasing scrutiny. News outlets have reported on business deals by Liberty University benefiting Falwell’s friends. Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen claimed that he had helped Falwell clean up racy “personal” photographs.
Based on scores of new interviews and documents obtained for this article, concerns about Falwell’s behavior go well beyond that — and it’s causing longtime, loyal Liberty University officials to rapidly lose faith in him.
In spite of his Boss Hogg presence and bumpkin theology, Falwell, Sr., ran a relatively clean and benevolently paternal organization; he cared about the students entrusted to his school. Junior, contrarily, seems interested only in using the school as a device for generating personal wealth.