Liberty University filed a civil lawsuit against its former president, Jerry Falwell Jr., in Lynchburg Circuit Court on Thursday, seeking millions of dollars in damages after the former leader was ousted from his position following a personal scandal last year.
As reported by The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jerry-falwell-lawsuits-virginia-lynchburg-3b9c8e0c3bf525c79fbd54dc95889c86">Associated Press</a>, the complaint alleges that Falwell created a &#8220;well-resourced exit strategy&#8221; from his position as president and chancellor of Liberty University through a 2019 employment agreement as he kept important information about a scandal in his personal life from the school.
“Despite his clear duties as an executive and officer at Liberty, Falwell Jr. chose personal protection,” the lawsuit says.
It also states that Falwell did not share and address “the issue of his personal impairment by alcohol” and also has not entirely returned Liberty’s confidential information and other personal property, per the AP.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/us/jerry-falwell-jr-liberty-university-lawsuit.html">The New York Times</a> reported:
<blockquote>The suit says Falwell “improperly and errantly” told the press he was owed $10.5 million after his departure in August. His severance should have been $2.5 million, or two years’ salary under the higher salary he negotiated in 2019, the suit claims. “Liberty was unsure if Falwell Jr.’s representation to the media was just puffery and bragging or some attempt to set up a claim for additional compensation,” the suit says.</blockquote>
Falwell left Liberty University in August 2020 shortly after a business partner of the family, Giancarlo Granda, came forward and said that he had an affair with Falwell&#8217;s wife, Becki Falwell, and added that Falwell himself was involved. While the Falwells acknowledged that an affair had taken place between Granda and Becki, Jerry Falwell said that he never participated.
In August of last year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades">The Daily Wire reported:</a>
<blockquote>Giancarlo Granda, 29, told Reuters that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together “multiple times per year.” Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells’ treatment of him was predatory, saying, “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.” </blockquote>
The school&#8217;s lawsuit states that Falwell had a “fiduciary duty to disclose Granda’s extortive actions, and to disclose the potential for serious harm to Liberty.”
Instead of disclosing this information, Falwell “furthered the conspiracy of silence and negotiated a 2019 Employment Agreement that contained a higher salary from Liberty,” the suit says.
The lawsuit alleges three counts including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and statutory conspiracy. It is seeking over $10 million in damages.
Last year, Jerry Falwell Jr. brought his own defamation lawsuit against Liberty University, claiming that the school was convinced by anti-Trump organizations like the Lincoln Project to push him out of his position.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-sues-liberty-university-claims-anti-trump-groups-forced-his-resignation">The Daily Wire</a> reported at the time:
<blockquote>“Other than God and my family, there is nothing in the world I love more than Liberty University,” Falwell said, as reported by Washington Examiner columnist Paul Bedard. “I am saddened that University officials, with whom I have shared so much success and enjoyed such positive relationships, jumped to conclusions about the claims made against my character, failed to properly investigate them, and then damaged my reputation following my forced resignation.”</blockquote>
Falwell later dropped his lawsuit and asked a judge in Lynchburg, Virginia, to dismiss the case, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-drops-defamation-case-against-liberty-university-for-now">The Daily Wire.</a>
The Associated Press reported that Falwell responded to a phone call from the outlet with a text on Friday saying he was not available to talk. The outlet also left a message seeking comment with an attorney who has represented him previously, but reported it is unclear if he has an attorney representing him on this issue.

747E5BC6-4950-48C8-A229-F56D56B210F8_1_201_a

Report: Liberty University Sues Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Jerry Falwell Jr.

Liberty University

Jerry Falwell Jr., the disgraced former president of Liberty University, has dropped his defamation lawsuit against his former employer.
Falwell resigned in August following the allegations of a former pool boy who alleged he had an affair with Falwell’s wife, Becki, and that Jerry Falwell watched the sexual interactions. In late October, Falwell filed a lawsuit against Liberty University, alleging outside, anti-Trump forces were behind his ouster, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-sues-liberty-university-claims-anti-trump-groups-forced-his-resignation">reported</a>.
Falwell has now asked a judge in Lynchburg, Virginia, to dismiss the case, a motion that was granted, although Falwell has the option of refiling the lawsuit at a later date, The News &amp; Advance <a href="https://newsadvance.com/news/local/liberty-university/jerry-falwell-jr-drops-defamation-suit-against-liberty-university/article_f3cbe1f2-5be0-5da0-871c-9b3a8f82af62.html">reported</a> Thursday.
“I’ve decided to take a time out from my litigation against Liberty University, but I will continue to keep all options on the table for an appropriate resolution to the matter,” Falwell told the paper in a statement.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/falwell-jr-drops-defamation-liberty-university">reported</a> that there was no indication in court documents as to why Falwell asked to dismiss the complaint. Liberty University told the outlet in a statement that Falwell’s decision to drop the lawsuit “was not prompted by any payments, promises, or other consideration” from his former employer.
“The University’s administration and Board of Trustees are pleased that Falwell has dropped his lawsuit and look forward to pressing onward with the work of Liberty’s President and Chancellor Search Committee to find the new leadership to succeed Falwell,” the university said in a statement.
When Falwell filed his lawsuit in October, he released a statement alleging Liberty took an accuser’s word over his and was persuaded by anti-Trump groups such as the Lincoln Project to force him out. Falwell said his lawsuit would include charges of defamation and breach of contract.
“Other than God and my family, there is nothing in the world I love more than Liberty University,” Falwell said in his statement at the time. “I am saddened that University officials, with whom I have shared so much success and enjoyed such positive relationships, jumped to conclusions about the claims made against my character, failed to properly investigate them, and then damaged my reputation following my forced resignation.”
In August, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades">reported</a> that a former pool boy who worked for Falwell and his wife, Becki, had been in a sexual relationship with the couple for years:
<blockquote>Giancarlo Granda, 29, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/">Reuters</a> that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together “multiple times per year.” Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells’ treatment of him was predatory, saying, “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.”</blockquote>
Falwell at the time admitted that Granda had an affair with his wife but accused the former pool boy of blackmailing his family. In a statement, Falwell’s attorneys said the claims from Granda damaged Falwell’s reputation.
“These statements had the effect of affirming false claims that an individual made publicly against Mr. Falwell after years-long attempts at extortion against Falwell and his wife Becki. Based on research and investigation, this individual appears to be supported financially by political opponents of Mr. Falwell in the midst of a heated presidential campaign, likely including the anti-Trump political action committee called The Lincoln Project,” the statement said.

Jerry Falwell Jr

Jerry Falwell Jr. Drops Defamation Case Against Liberty University, For Now

Lawsuit

Jerry Falwell Jr., the former president of Liberty University who resigned amid a sex scandal, says he is now suing his former employer, alleging outside, anti-Trump forces were behind his ouster.
Falwell released a statement Thursday alleging Liberty took an accuser’s word over his and was persuaded by anti-Trump groups such as the Lincoln Project to force him out. Falwell said his lawsuit would include charges of defamation and breach of contract.
“Other than God and my family, there is nothing in the world I love more than Liberty University,” Falwell said, as <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/jerry-falwell-sues-liberty-university-for-firing-blames-anti-trump-forces">reported</a> by Washington Examiner columnist Paul Bedard. “I am saddened that University officials, with whom I have shared so much success and enjoyed such positive relationships, jumped to conclusions about the claims made against my character, failed to properly investigate them, and then damaged my reputation following my forced resignation.”
In August, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades">reported</a> that a former pool boy who worked for Falwell and his wife, Becki, had been in a sexual relationship with the couple for years:
Giancarlo Granda, 29, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/">Reuters</a> that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together “multiple times per year.” Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells’ treatment of him was predatory, saying, “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.”
Falwell admitted in a statement that Granda had an affair with his wife but accused the former pool boy of blackmailing his family.
A statement regarding the lawsuit alleged Liberty’s belief in the allegations hurt Falwell’s reputation, the Examiner reported.
“These statements had the effect of affirming false claims that an individual made publicly against Mr. Falwell after years-long attempts at extortion against Falwell and his wife Becki. Based on research and investigation, this individual appears to be supported financially by political opponents of Mr. Falwell in the midst of a heated presidential campaign, likely including the anti-Trump political action committee called The Lincoln Project,” the statement said.
As Bedard reported, Falwell tried to fight back against the charges, but he was overwhelmed by the media attention, which he said stemmed from his support of President Donald Trump and forced him to resign.
In a statement, Falwell’s attorney, Robert Raskopf, said he and his client had tried to meet with Liberty University but were unable to do so.
“We attempted to meet several times with the Liberty University Board of Trustees Executive Committee but were unsuccessful in doing so. Thus, we were forced to seek remedy for Mr. Falwell’s ongoing injuries and damage to his reputation through the Court,” Raskopf said.

Jerry Falwell Jr. Sues Liberty University, Claims Anti-Trump Groups Forced His Resignation

Sex Scandal

A former student at Liberty University alleged that Jerry Falwell Jr.&#8217;s wife, Becki Falwell, performed oral sex on him at her home in 2008, when he was 22 years old, and aggressively pursued him afterward.
According to photos published Thursday by Politico, Becki Falwell sent flirtatious messages to the student, who reportedly knew her eldest son and went to band camp with him at the Falwell Farm. In one message, she said, &#8220;[Redacted] said that she wants you to cut [your] bangs when you get your hair cut. I think that you are beautiful just like you are,” Becki Falwell wrote in a message sent in September 2008. “You don’t want to cover up those killer eyes of yours and you know the bandana drives me wild … 🙂”
When the student said he was not interested in romantic involvement with her in December 2008, Falwell responded, &#8220;Maybe time will heal whatever wounds that I have caused and your Christian heart will allow you to forgive me.&#8221;
Jerry and Becki Falwell denied the former student’s allegations, telling Politico in a statement, “It is unfortunate that the coverage of our departure has turned into a frenzy of false and fantastic claims about us. These false and mean spirited lies have hurt us and our family greatly and we will respond fully with the truth at an appropriate time. At this time, however, we think it is best to move on and help the Liberty community focus on its very bright future…”
The allegations are the latest against the family of the former evangelical university president, who resigned from his position earlier this week with a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/us/jerry-falwell-jr-resignation-payment/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$10.5 million severance package</a>. He had earlier been placed on an indefinite leave of absence after his publication of an inappropriate photo of himself with his wife&#8217;s assistants with their pants unzipped.
A former pool boy then alleged that he had been engaged in a years-long affair with the Falwells, and that Falwell would watch while he had sex with his wife. As The Daily Wire reported:
<blockquote>A former business partner of Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. claimed that the embattled evangelical leader and his wife drew him into a sexual relationship that spanned years.
Giancarlo Granda, 29, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together “multiple times per year.” Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells’ treatment of him was predatory, saying, “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.”</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-reportedly-withdrew-resignation-after-media-reported-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jerry Falwell Jr. Reportedly Withdrew Resignation After Media Reported It</a>

Falwells

Former Liberty University Student Alleges Falwell Wife Aggressively Pursued Him After Performing Sex Act

Politico

After reportedly agreeing to resign from his position as Liberty University president, Jerry Falwell Jr. withdrew his resignation.
In <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/news/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-jr-agrees-to-resign-as-liberty-universitys-president-then-reverses-course/">a statement</a> released Monday night, the university accused Falwell of instructing his attorneys to “not tender the letter for immediate resignation” after the media reported he had agreed to resign. As Liberty stated, Falwell agreed to resign on the first day of fall classes after additional reports surfaced of his involvement in a sordid affair with his wife and a pool boy.
Those allegations, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades">reported</a>, involved a former pool boy named Giancarlo Granda, 29, who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/">told</a> Reuters that he started having a relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, about nine years earlier when he was 20. At the time, Granda said he was working at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. Until about 2018, Granda would see Becki several times a year to have sex with her while Falwell watched “from the corner of the room.” He provided evidence of the affair to Reuters.
“Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades,” Granda said.
Falwell claimed in a statement to the Washington Examiner that Granda had an affair with his wife but that he was trying to blackmail Falwell’s family.
Liberty University’s Board of Trustees asked Falwell to take an indefinite leave of absence on August 7 after he briefly posted a photo of himself on a yacht with his wife’s assistant in which they both had their stomachs showing and pants unzipped, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-takes-indefinite-leave-of-absence-from-liberty-university-after-inappropriate-photo">reported</a> at the time.
“She’s pregnant, so she couldn’t get her pants up,” Falwell said of the photo. “I had on a pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long time, so I couldn’t get mine zipped either. And so, I just put my belly out like hers.” Falwell added that the costumes were “in good fun.”
Around that same time, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/us/falwell-bello-fontainebleau-settlement.html">reported</a> that Falwell paid “an undisclosed sum to a young man who claimed he had been offered an ownership stake in a gay-friendly youth hostel, the Miami Hostel, that Mr. Falwell and his wife, Becki, bought in 2013.”
After news of the fair broke, Liberty’s Executive Committee met and said a conference call “gathering of the full Board was planned” for Tuesday.
“Falwell responded by agreeing to resign immediately as President of Liberty University today but then instructed his attorneys to not tender the letter for immediate resignation. The Executive Committee will go forward with its meeting in the morning followed by the full Board,” the university’s statement said.
Liberty’s acting president Jerry Prevo released a statement saying, “I call upon the University community and supporters to be in prayer for the University and for all its leadership, past, present and future, as we walk with the Lord through this stormy time of transition.”

Jerry Falwell Jr. Reportedly Withdrew Resignation After Media Reported It

Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as president and chancellor of Liberty University on Monday, the same day Reuters published an investigative report alleging that he and his wife Becki were involved in a seven-year sexual affair with a former pool boy and business associate.
Just weeks after he had been placed on an indefinite leave of absence following his publication of an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-takes-indefinite-leave-of-absence-from-liberty-university-after-inappropriate-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inappropriate photo</a> on Instagram, the prominent evangelical leader and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump gave up the reins of power at the flagship Christian college his father founded, according to <a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-resigns-liberty-university-alleged-affair-trump-pool-attendant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Religion News Service</a> (RNS).
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>:
<blockquote>Giancarlo Granda, 29, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together “multiple times per year.” Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells’ treatment of him was predatory, saying, “Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.”</blockquote>
In a lengthy statement given to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/exclusive-falwell-says-fatal-attraction-threat-led-to-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Examiner</a> on Sunday night, Falwell admitted Granda had an affair with his wife but claimed the former pool boy was trying to blackmail his family. Falwell told RNS that he had no comment beyond the statement he gave to the Examiner.
A group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50-pastors-who-attended-liberty-university-call-for-jerry-falwell-jr-to-be-permanently-removed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 pastors</a> who attended Liberty asked the board of trustees last week to &#8220;permanently remove&#8221; Falwell from a position of leadership, following the Instagram photo and other things he had done that they found shameful. They claimed Falwell &#8220;has also embarrassed the many alumni that work hard in our community to not only uphold the reputation of the university but to uphold a positive witness for the name of Christ.”
Pastor Colby Garman of Pillar Church in Dumfries, Virginia, who was among those who signed the letter, lamented the situation on Twitter, writing, &#8220;The past 24 hours of news related to Liberty University and Jerry Falwell Jr. and his family is sad. Whatever portion of it is true it is a reminder of just how deeply entangling sin can become and our deep need for genuine spiritual renewal from Christ each and every day.&#8221;
&#8220;As I have said before, it will be best for the school to make a permanent leadership change immediately and allow the Falwell family to work out these matters in private,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Prayers for all involved.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As I have said before, it will be best for the school to make a permanent leadership change immediately and allow the Falwell family to work out these matters in private. Prayers for all involved.
&mdash; Colby Garman (@ColbyGarman) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColbyGarman/status/1297956418788757504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
UPDATE: Jerry Falwell Jr. has since disputed his resignation from Liberty University, according to multiple sources. Politico reporter Maggie Severns claimed Monday night, &#8220;Jerry Falwell Jr. tells me he is NOT leaving his post, despite indications from Liberty that he will do so. &#8216;I have not resigned,&#8217; Falwell says.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New: Jerry Falwell Jr. tells me he is NOT leaving his post, despite indications from Liberty that he will do so. &quot;I have not resigned,&quot; Falwell says.
&mdash; Maggie Severns (@MaggieSeverns) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaggieSeverns/status/1298032516813783043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-pool-boy-accuses-jerry-falwell-jr-and-wife-of-targeting-him-for-sexual-escapades" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Former Pool Boy Accuses Jerry Falwell Jr. And Wife Of Targeting Him For ‘Sexual Escapades’</a>

‘Deeply Entangling Sin’: Jerry Falwell Jr. Resigns From Liberty University Amid Sordid Allegations

Religion

A former business partner of Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. claimed that the embattled evangelical leader and his wife drew him into a sexual relationship that spanned years.
Giancarlo Granda, 29, told <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> that his alleged relationship with Falwell and his wife, Becki, began when he was just 20, when he met them while working as a pool boy at Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in 2012. Granda said the trysts, which he claims involved Falwell watching as he had sex with his wife, continued until 2018. “Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room,” he said.
Granda reportedly provided Reuters with evidence of the affair, which he said involved the trio getting together &#8220;multiple times per year.&#8221; Looking back, he also claimed the Falwells&#8217; treatment of him was predatory, saying, &#8220;Whether it was immaturity, naïveté, instability, or a combination thereof, it was this ‘mindset’ that the Falwells likely detected in deciding that I was the ideal target for their sexual escapades.&#8221;
Granda&#8217;s interview with Reuters comes weeks after Liberty University placed Falwell on an indefinite leave of absence, following his publication of an inappropriate photo on Instagram that was quickly deleted.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-takes-indefinite-leave-of-absence-from-liberty-university-after-inappropriate-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> on Aug. 7:
<blockquote>Liberty University announced on Friday that its Board of Trustees asked Jerry Falwell Jr. to take “an indefinite leave of absence” as president and chancellor after a photo circulated of him with his pants unzipped, his underpants showing, and his stomach protruding.</blockquote>
A group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50-pastors-who-attended-liberty-university-call-for-jerry-falwell-jr-to-be-permanently-removed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">50 pastors</a> who attended Liberty urged the board of trustees to make Falwell&#8217;s leave of absence permanent, saying his behavior &#8220;has also embarrassed the many alumni that work hard in our community to not only uphold the reputation of the university but to uphold a positive witness for the name of Christ.&#8221;
On Sunday, Falwell got ahead of the Reuters story when he issued a statement to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/exclusive-falwell-says-fatal-attraction-threat-led-to-depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Examiner</a>, in which he described Granda as &#8220;an ambitious young man&#8221; who had an affair with his wife and later tried to blackmail them. The statement, which was peppered with quotations from the King James Bible, read:
<blockquote>My family has been blessed with the opportunity to serve Christ and our community over the past 50 years &#8211; from when my father founded Liberty in the early 1970’s through today. When my father suddenly passed away in 2007, I quickly and unexpectedly went from being the lawyer working in the background on the business aspects of the school to becoming a very public person, having to overcome my fears of speaking in front of audiences of tens of thousands, with many more responsibilities to the Liberty community and to my own family.
My priority was to build on my father’s vision and to work hard. Thanks to the help of the Board and the extraordinary Liberty faculty, executives, staff and community, we have ensured the University’s sustained growth and financial health while providing the best and most modern on-campus and online educational and spiritual resources to a wider range of students both in person and through digital platforms.
My commitment to Liberty became and has remained my primary focus &#8211; and while I am so grateful and thankful for our collective successes, I also realize in hindsight that there was a toll that this took on me, which extended to my family too. During this time of reflection for us and this especially challenging year, and even more so following the events of the past few weeks, my wife Becki and I agreed that this was the right time for me to share more of our story, because the Liberty community deserves to hear it directly from me and from us.
During a vacation over eight years ago, Becki and I met an ambitious young man who was working at our hotel and was saving up his money to go to school. We encouraged him to pursue an education and a career and we were impressed by his initiative in suggesting a local real estate opportunity. My family members eventually made an investment in a local property, included him in the deal because he could play an active role in managing it, and became close with him and his family.
Shortly thereafter, Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved – it was nonetheless very upsetting to learn about. After I learned this, I lost 80 pounds and people who saw me regularly thought that I was physically unwell, when in reality I was just balancing how to be most supportive of Becki, who I love, while also reflecting and praying about whether there were ways I could have been more supportive of her and given her proper attention. I came to realize that while it may be easy to judge others on their behavior, the King James Bible reminds us &#8211; “Thou shalt not commit adultery, but I sayeth unto you, that whoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart.” In fact, there are ways we may all be sinning, but the Lord believes in this self-reflection.
I was and have always remained fully devoted to Becki and we have shared many private conversations to better understand and support each other and to strengthen our marriage. Thankfully, our love has never been stronger. Becki and I forgave each other, because while her indiscretion may have been more obvious and apparent, I realized that there were important smaller things I needed to do better too.
In Ephesians 4:32 we learn &#8211; “Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving as God in Christ forgave you.”
We extended the spirit of forgiveness to this man with respect and kindness, both for spiritual and religious reasons, and in the hope that we could help him find his way and allow us to put this behind us, without any harm or embarrassment to our family or to the LU community to which we have dedicated our lives.
During the years that followed, we got to know his family and other loved ones, good people who also really care about him. They shared and confirmed to us that he has periodically demonstrated emotionally unstable behaviors with some destructive tendencies, seemingly in response to his inability to achieve his professional goals. Based on information from other sources, we believe that he may have targeted other successful women in similar ways.
While we tried to distance ourselves from him over time, he unfortunately became increasingly angry and aggressive. Eventually, he began threatening to publicly reveal this secret relationship with Becki and to deliberately embarrass my wife, family, and Liberty University unless we agreed to pay him substantial monies. While this was very upsetting, we had been advised by trusted legal counsel that it was best to maintain contact with this person, as we tried to manage his increasingly erratic behavior and unreasonable demands while extricating ourselves from him both on a personal level and from that real estate transaction.
It was like living on a roller coaster.
While completely dedicating ourselves to Liberty, we were also suffering in silence during our personal time together, while simultaneously trying to manage and deal with this increasingly threatening behavior, which only worsened over time. We were doing our best to respectfully unravel this ‘fatal attraction’ type situation to protect our family and the University.
Even years after the improper relationship had ended, this person continued to be aggressive with Becki and me in a variety of ways. We finally decided that we had to further withdraw completely from him, which resulted in him stepping up his threats to share more outrageous and fabricate claims about us (under the guise of that business entity). He clearly moved forward with this plan through a specific member of the media who has continued to badger us, as well as other members of the media, regarding the false claims about the nature of the relationship based on the individual’s misrepresentations. Over the course of the last few months this person&#8217;s behavior has reached a level that we have decided the only way to stop this predatory behavior is to go public.
We have categorically rejected this person’s demands while dealing with him and this particular member of the media who seemed just as obsessed with the prurient, untrue aspects of this story, however fantastic.
Even though I continued successfully working with our entire Liberty team to achieve so many of our goals, I am now dealing with things in a way that I should have done before &#8211; including seeking to address the emotional toll this has taken. I shouldn’t have been afraid to admit my vulnerabilities and to reach out for assistance from the mental health professionals who could have alleviated this pain and stress. I am committed to speaking out and sharing with others at Liberty the importance of seeking counseling instead of thinking you need to be tough and try to bear these burdens on your own. I am in the early stages of addressing these issues.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on thine own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he will guide straight thy path.”
The trauma of this experience has brought us to a very challenging point in our lives, but we are strong, our faith in Christ is greater than ever, and with His help and with those in the community who we love and who appreciate the impact of forgiveness, we will get through this. We ask for your prayers and support.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-going-to-make-an-example-out-of-them-liberty-university-sues-new-york-times-over-allegedly-misleading-covid-19-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘We’re Going To Make An Example Out Of Them’: Liberty University Sues New York Times Over Allegedly Misleading COVID-19 Story</a>

Republican National Convention: Day Four

Former Pool Boy Accuses Jerry Falwell Jr. And Wife Of Targeting Him For ‘Sexual Escapades’

Fifty pastors who are alumni of Liberty University are urging the school to make Jerry Falwell Jr.&#8217;s recent &#8220;indefinite leave of absence&#8221; permanent and remove him as president of the institution that his father founded.
According to <a href="https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2020/august/liberty-alumni-pastors-urge-university-board-to-permanently-remove-jerry-falwell-jr-as-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Faithwire</a>, the ministers from churches nationwide sent the letter to the school&#8217;s board of trustees and acting University President Dr. Jerry Prevo on Thursday.
&#8220;It is because of our deep love for Liberty University and our great optimism for its future that we write to you today to urge you, the Board of Trustees, to permanently remove Mr. Falwell as president and chancellor and replace him with a new leader,&#8221; the letter says. &#8220;We do not write out of any personal vendetta against Mr. Falwell. We recognize that under his leadership, since his father&#8217;s death in 2007, the school has experienced significant financial and institutional growth and added important programs that are poised to shape a generation of Christian leaders in nearly every field of study.&#8221;
The pastors&#8217; letter comes weeks after Falwell was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-takes-indefinite-leave-of-absence-from-liberty-university-after-inappropriate-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ousted,</a> at least temporarily, after posting an inappropriate photo of himself on Instagram. They also took umbrage with other things Falwell has recently done on social media, such as mocking Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam&#8217;s mask-wearing mandate by posting a picture of a mask depicting Northam either in blackface or a Klan hood.
Falwell, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, also deleted a tweet that urged Pastor David Platt of McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, to &#8220;<a href="https://relevantmagazine.com/current/jerry-falwell-jr-tweeted-a-crude-message-to-david-platt-following-trump-drama/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grow a pair</a>&#8221; after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/limbaugh-president-trump-cant-catch-break-even-david-limbaugh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">acknowledged</a> the &#8220;hurt&#8221; some in his congregation experienced when he prayed over the president last June.
&#8220;The racially insensitive comments earlier this spring and the recent posting of the inappropriate picture on social media have brought embarrassment to the school,&#8221; the pastors wrote. &#8220;It has also embarrassed the many alumni that work hard in our community to not only uphold the reputation of the university but to uphold a positive witness for the name of Christ.&#8221;
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Prominent conservatives question Jerry Falwell Jr. vacation photo <a href="https://t.co/4MnkQKtrhR">https://t.co/4MnkQKtrhR</a> <a href="https://t.co/mx0dkcJcvh">pic.twitter.com/mx0dkcJcvh</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1290723688787120130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jerry-falwell-jr-takes-indefinite-leave-of-absence-from-liberty-university-after-inappropriate-photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> on Aug. 7:
<blockquote>Liberty University announced [&#8230;] that its Board of Trustees asked Jerry Falwell Jr. to take “an indefinite leave of absence” as president and chancellor after a photo circulated of him with his pants unzipped, his underpants showing, and his stomach protruding.
“The Executive Committee of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees, acting on behalf of the full Board, met today and requested that Jerry Falwell, Jr. take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as President and Chancellor of Liberty University, to which he has agreed, effective immediately,” the school announced in a statement.
The unflattering photo, which Falwell himself shared on Instagram before deleting it, shows him on a yacht with his arm around his wife’s assistant. Many criticized the photo as inappropriate, especially for the leader of one of the nation’s largest Christian universities, which maintains a strict <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/students/wp-content/uploads/sites/89/2019/09/2019-08-21-LW-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">code of conduct</a> for its students, including a dress code.</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/limbaugh-president-trump-cant-catch-break-even-david-limbaugh" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LIMBAUGH: President Trump Can’t Catch A Break – Even In Church</a>

Jerry Falwell Jr RNC

50 Pastors Who Attended Liberty University Call For Jerry Falwell Jr. To Be ‘Permanently Removed’

Evangelicals

Liberty University announced on Friday that its Board of Trustees asked Jerry Falwell Jr. to take &#8220;an indefinite leave of absence&#8221; as president and chancellor after a photo circulated of him with his pants unzipped, his underpants showing, and his stomach protruding.
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Prominent conservatives question Jerry Falwell Jr. vacation photo <a href="https://t.co/4MnkQKtrhR">https://t.co/4MnkQKtrhR</a> <a href="https://t.co/mx0dkcJcvh">pic.twitter.com/mx0dkcJcvh</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1290723688787120130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The Executive Committee of Liberty University’s Board of Trustees, acting on behalf of the full Board, met today and requested that Jerry Falwell, Jr. take an indefinite leave of absence from his roles as President and Chancellor of Liberty University, to which he has agreed, effective immediately,&#8221; the school announced in a statement.
The unflattering photo, which Falwell himself shared on Instagram before deleting it, shows him on a yacht with his arm around his wife&#8217;s assistant. Many criticized the photo as inappropriate, especially for the leader of one of the nation&#8217;s largest Christian universities, which maintains a strict <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/students/wp-content/uploads/sites/89/2019/09/2019-08-21-LW-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">code of conduct</a> for its students, including a dress code.
&#8220;How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real?&#8221; Meghan McCain asked. &#8220;Also if you&#8217;re running the largest Christian university in America maybe don&#8217;t put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht – with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical.&#8221;
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How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real? Also if you&#39;re running the largest Christian university in America maybe don&#39;t put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht &#8211; with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical.
&mdash; Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) <a href="https://twitter.com/MeghanMcCain/status/1290405488161697799?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Falwell <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/im-gonna-try-to-be-a-good-boy-jerry-falwell-jr-apologizes-for-vacation-photo-showing-pants-unzipped" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">apologized</a> for the photo during a radio interview on Wednesday, telling Lynchburg&#8217;s WLNI 105.9FM, &#8220;I’ve apologized to everybody. And I’ve promised my kids I’m gonna try to be a good boy from here on out.&#8221;
&#8220;She’s pregnant, so she couldn’t get her pants up,&#8221; he said of the woman with him. &#8220;I had on a pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long time, so I couldn’t get mine zipped either. And so, I just put my belly out like hers.&#8221; Falwell maintained the costumes were &#8220;in good fun.&#8221;
Falwell, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, has been entangled in a photo-related scandal before. According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/us/falwell-bello-fontainebleau-settlement.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The New York Times</a>, Falwell settled a lawsuit last October in a case that revolved around &#8220;purported sexually compromising photographs involving the Falwells that could have been used as leverage against them.&#8221;
NYT also reported that Falwell paid &#8220;an undisclosed sum to a young man who claimed he had been offered an ownership stake in a gay-friendly youth hostel, the Miami Hostel, that Mr. Falwell and his wife, Becki, bought in 2013.&#8221;
Liberty University recently sued The New York Times over an allegedly misleading story about COVID-19 on the school&#8217;s campus. The $10 million defamation suit, filed against two NYT reporters, claimed that they “intentionally misrepresented that ‘Liberty’ had reopened its campus after spring break and suffered a COVID-19 outbreak as a result.”
&#8220;They picked on the wrong conservative,” Falwell told <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/falwells-liberty-university-slaps-new-york-times-with-10m-suit-for-made-up-covid-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Examiner</a> of the case. “It’s just not right for the mainstream media to lie about and target conservative Christian organizations just because of their faith and because of their political beliefs, and we’re going to make an example out of them.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/were-going-to-make-an-example-out-of-them-liberty-university-sues-new-york-times-over-allegedly-misleading-covid-19-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘We’re Going To Make An Example Out Of Them’: Liberty University Sues New York Times Over Allegedly Misleading COVID-19 Story</a>

Jerry Falwell Jr. Takes ‘Indefinite Leave Of Absence’ From Liberty University After Inappropriate Photo

Liberty University hit The New York Times and two of its employees with a $10 million defamation suit on Wednesday after the nation&#8217;s paper of record allegedly implied the conservative Christian college caused its students to come down with COVID-19.
The university alleges in the 94-page suit filed in Lynchburg Circuit Court that a March 29 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/us/politics/coronavirus-liberty-university-falwell.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NYT story,</a> titled &#8220;Liberty University Brings Back Its Students, and Coronavirus Fears, Too&#8221; by Elizabeth Williamson, &#8220;intentionally misrepresented that &#8216;Liberty&#8217; had reopened its campus after spring break and suffered a COVID-19 outbreak as a result.&#8221; It also lays blame on photographer Julia Rendleman, who took pictures for the story.
The story claimed &#8220;nearly a dozen&#8221; Liberty University students were sick with symptoms &#8220;that suggested Covid-19,&#8221; after they had been allowed to return to campus after spring break. Their primary source was Dr. Thomas J. Eppes, who they claimed &#8220;runs Liberty&#8217;s student health service.&#8221; Shortly before the story ran, University President Jerry Falwell Jr., who has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, <a href="https://apnews.com/326b67255b5436bd2a6bf2443ae5be96" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">took flak</a> from local authorities, who called him &#8220;reckless&#8221; for allowing students to take their online classes on campus.
Contrary to the NYT report, the suit claims, Eppes did not run Liberty&#8217;s health service and, in fact, told them that the nearly 12 students exhibited symptoms that were not indicative of COVID-19. &#8220;Simply put, defendants&#8217; claim that &#8216;Liberty Brings Back its Students and Coronavirus, Too&#8217; was made up,&#8221; the suit said, later adding that NYT set out &#8220;to engineer a specific fictional tale that portrayed Liberty and its President as a caricature the New York Times’ liberal audience would love: backward, irresponsible, anti-science, responsible for getting people sick in a pandemic, and closely tied to and mirroring President Trump.&#8221;
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JUST POSTED: “We need help to go home.” I visited Liberty U. as the consequences of Jerry Falwell&#39;s decision to reopen the campus amid a pandemic came home to roost. <a href="https://t.co/sglQgqzqo8">https://t.co/sglQgqzqo8</a>
&mdash; Elizabeth Williamson (@NYTLiz) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYTLiz/status/1244353460713250816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Falwell said of The New York Times to Fox News host <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/liberty-university-suing-new-york-times-for-defamation-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sean Hannity</a> on Wednesday night, &#8220;Not only are they a bigoted bunch of liars, and also [a] BuzzFeed type click bait publication now, but they&#8217;re also stupid, because they came on campus. We had 25, at least, &#8216;No Trespassing&#8217; signs everywhere, and they were dumb enough to take pictures of the signs and publish them.&#8221; Falwell claimed that the journalists were forced to cut a deal with the local prosecutor to avoid jail time.
&#8220;They were here for a few days,&#8221; Falwell continued. &#8220;I think they got their information from a doctor who has a practice ten miles away from Liberty, who had seen a few Liberty kids who had a cold and upper respiratory problem. And none of it was anything like COVID symptoms &#8230; he told the reporters to go and talk to our on-campus doctor at our clinic on campus, and they wouldn&#8217;t do it. They didn&#8217;t talk to us.&#8221; Falwell went on to say that the university had no choice but to sue after the NYT refused to retract or correct any part of their reporting.
&#8220;They picked on the wrong conservative,&#8221; Falwell told <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/washington-secrets/falwells-liberty-university-slaps-new-york-times-with-10m-suit-for-made-up-covid-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Examiner</a>. “It’s just not right for the mainstream media to lie about and target conservative Christian organizations just because of their faith and because of their political beliefs, and we’re going to make an example out of them.”
NYT Senior Vice President of Communications Eileen Murphy said in a statement Wednesday, &#8220;We are confident that our story accurately portrayed the reopening of Liberty University and the public health concerns that the reopening raised. We look forward to defending our work in court.&#8221;
Earlier this week, former NYT Opinion Editor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gadfly-bari-weiss-quits-new-york-times-savages-them-if-you-speak-your-mind-youll-be-hung-out-to-dry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bari Weiss resigned</a> from the newspaper, claiming she was openly mocked by her co-workers for failing to toe the line of liberal orthodoxy and that the publication cares most about catering to clickbait and Twitter. She wrote in her resignation letter, &#8220;[A] new consensus has emerged in the press, but perhaps especially at this paper: that truth isn’t a process of collective discovery, but an orthodoxy already known to an enlightened few whose job is to inform everyone else.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hatred-of-god-lies-at-root-of-nationwide-vandalism-christian-historian-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘Hatred Of God’ Lies At Root Of Nationwide Vandalism, Christian Historian Says</a>

‘We’re Going To Make An Example Out Of Them’: Liberty University Sues New York Times Over Allegedly Misleading COVID-19 Story

COVID

New York Times

On Tuesday, Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University in Virginia, invited Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to speak at his university. 
The invite came after Ocasio-Cortez posted a video of Falwell with a quote from his 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) speech insinuating that his marks were Islamophobic &#8212; and also falsely claiming that they were made during this year&#8217;s CPAC, instead of the 2015 gathering.
Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1102989269264678912">tweeted</a>: &#8220;&#8216;I always thought that if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end these Muslims before they [unintelligible.]&#8217; This was just this weekend at CPAC, the conference attended by the President and members, to 1000s. Where&#8217;s the resolution against Islamophobia?&#8221;
Falwell responded to Ocasio-Cortez, claiming that she lied.
&#8220;I thought @AOC was just dumb but she is a liar too,&#8221; Falwell tweeted. &#8220;She claims this was @CPAC last week when it was actually in 2015 the day after the deadly CA attacks by radical Muslims (&#8216;those&#8217; Muslims I referenced) She also deleted the last part of my quote &#8216;before they walk in and kill us&#8217;.&#8221;
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I thought <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> was just dumb but she is a liar too. She claims this was <a href="https://twitter.com/CPAC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CPAC</a> last week when it was actually in 2015 the day after the deadly CA attacks by radical Muslims (&#8220;those&#8221; Muslims I referenced) She also deleted the last part of my quote &#8220;before they walk in and kill us&#8221;. <a href="https://t.co/lIw4V4BaVj">https://t.co/lIw4V4BaVj</a>
&#8212; Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryFalwellJr/status/1103012787167494144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ocasio-Cortez then slammed Falwell&#8217;s rhetoric from a second video from this year&#8217;s CPAC, which was posted by a Twitter user who claims Falwell threatened to shoot AOC.
&#8220;My boys always have guns in their hands &#8212; that&#8217;s not something you teach them, that&#8217;s something they&#8217;re born with,&#8221; Falwell says in the video while on a panel which included Donald Trump, Jr. &#8220;I&#8217;ve got a 100 cows, you just let Alexandria Cortez show up at my house and try to take my cows away.&#8221;
&#8220;I love cows, Jerry, they&#8217;re delicious,&#8221; Trump responded. 
&#8220;Cool cool &#8211; this is fine, totally acceptable and normal rhetoric; legitimized by the presence of members of Congress and the President,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez tweeted sarcastically. &#8220;Let me guess: no apology is necessary here, because they&#8217;ve simply been &#8216;misunderstood.'&#8221;
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Cool cool &#8211; this is fine, totally acceptable and normal rhetoric; legitimized by the presence of members of Congress and the President.
Let me guess: no apology is necessary here, because they&#8217;ve simply been &#8220;misunderstood.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/5WSo7aELR9">https://t.co/5WSo7aELR9</a>
&#8212; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1103026734751014913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Falwell said he did not threaten Ocasio-Cortez. 
&#8220;Another lie!&#8221; Falwell tweeted. &#8220;Never threatened anyone, only promised to keep my cows! You people are nuts!&#8221;
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Another lie! Never threatened anyone, only promised to keep my cows! You people are nuts!
&#8212; Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryFalwellJr/status/1103030049693851649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Shortly after, Falwell invited Ocasio-Cortez over Twitter to speak at Liberty University&#8217;s convocation.
&#8220;@AOC Although we disagree on most of our politics, I would love to offer you the invite to come present your ideas at Liberty Convocation. Unlike most schools we welcome free speech and hearing from those who differ from our political views.&#8221;
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. <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AOC</a> Although we disagree on most of our politics, I would love to offer you the invite to come present your ideas at Liberty Convocation. Unlike most schools we welcome free speech and hearing from those who differ from our political views.
&#8212; Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryFalwellJr/status/1103064924065071104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Liberty University&#8217;s campus pastor, David Nasser, also urged Ocasio-Cortez to attend, according to the university&#8217;s newspaper, the <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/champion/2019/03/jerry-falwell-invited-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-to-convocation-after-heated-twitter-interaction/">Liberty Champion</a>.
&#8220;Please join us at @LibertyU @AOC. Our convocation is the largest weekly gathering of young adults in the world &amp; as an institute of higher learning, we want to hear your political ideas.&#8221;
Ocasio-Cortez has not yet responded to Falwell&#8217;s offer.
In 2015, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spoke at Liberty University&#8217;s convocation.
&#8220;Let me be very frank. I understand that issues such as abortion and gay marriage are very important to you and that we disagree on those issues. I get that,&#8221; Sanders said at the beginning of his speech, <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/bernie-sanders-liberty-university-2016-213599">Politico</a> reported. &#8220;But I came here today because I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse.&#8221;
During his speech, there were reportedly no boos and plenty of cheers at the conservative Christian university.

Liberty University Invites Ocasio-Cortez To Speak

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Speaking with fellow MSNBC host Chris Hayes on his <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/why-happening-exploring-history-scandal-rachel-maddow-ncna938691">online podcast</a> &#8220;Why Is This Happening,&#8221; Rachel Maddow claimed she was a religious person, but then ripped evangelicals, ranting that Liberty University isn&#8217;t &#8220;actual higher education.&#8221;
Discussing the case of former Vice-President Spiro Agnew, who resigned after being charged with financial corruption, Maddow pontificated:
<blockquote>
I mean, I am a religious person. I am a person who has a belief in God and has religious faith, and thinks about things in terms of how we all answer to God at the end of our lives, and so therefore, I believe that those types of badness are related, because they come from the same bad place in the universe. But that is a fundamentally non-scientific way of looking at it &#8230; I mean, I&#8217;m telling you my prejudice on these things is like, yeah, corruption and racist demagoguery must go together because those things come from the same dark part of the earth. But, I mean, it may just as easily be coincidence.
</blockquote>
The conversation segued to former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, with Hayes and Maddow comparing her to Agnew:
<blockquote>
Maddow: So that was the strain of McCain-ism that they wanted to elevate, and she did actually have a noble record in terms of standing up to the oil industry and the old boys&#8217; club in the Alaska government, and I think that&#8217;s what they thought they were getting with her.
Hayes: But instead, they got their own version of a 21st-century &#8230;
Maddow: Agnew.
Hayes: Agnew.
Maddow: Yeah, yeah.
Hayes: I mean, yeah, her job was to go out &#8230; I mean, what is remarkable about listening to the Agnew speeches in &#8220;Bag Man,&#8221; it&#8217;s like there&#8217;s not that much has changed. The only thing that is unnerving is that the only thing that&#8217;s changed is that, like, it&#8217;s all gotten way less literate than it was then.
Maddow: Yeah, I was just going to say, he was better at being Palin than she was.
</blockquote>
As might be expected, an elitist attack on Fox News followed, as Maddow theorized:
<blockquote>
And to see the most educated districts in the country go completely blue, like 98 percent blue across the country, we should&#8217;ve probably seen some of this when it became a sort of Fox News trope within the last three or four years that kids shouldn&#8217;t go to college, you know, that college is a bad thing. This anti-intellectual, anti-elite line of argument that we&#8217;ve seen from right wing populists since the beginning of time, it ultimately has an effect.
</blockquote>
That was immediately followed by the attack on evangelicals, as Maddow stated:
<blockquote>
We&#8217;ve got a new Justice Department spokesperson who&#8217;s from Liberty University, and Liberty University was founded by a televangelist so that your Christian child wouldn&#8217;t be corrupted by actual higher education. And now that&#8217;s the spokesperson for the Justice Department. These things add up. They have real results in the world. Is there going to be a backlash to that? Is there going to be a resurgent intellectualism in hard line conservatism that isn&#8217;t the kind of white supremacist stuff that we&#8217;re seeing, which is the pseudo-intellectual stuff, right? I don&#8217;t know, but it adds up. It adds up over time.
</blockquote>
Later, Maddow rambled about people in positions of power lying, singling out President Trump and Department of Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen:
<blockquote>
Because now we&#8217;re all living in a world, we&#8217;re all citizens of a country in which people in the highest ranking political positions in the country can lie regularly, flagrantly get caught &#8212; even about humiliatingly small and self-serving things &#8212; and nothing happens because of it. And that&#8217;s our life now. That&#8217;s not just the life of Donald Trump and the life of Kirstjen Nielsen and all of these people. That&#8217;s our lives, and if we don&#8217;t want to live in that kind of a country again, I have no idea how we go back to our old expectations of what public and political life is.
</blockquote>
Ignoring the history of Hillary Clinton and her emails, Maddow continued, &#8220;I mean, I am a little romantic about the constitution, and so I think that, in part, the truth comes out on these things because these are matters of law enforcement, and law enforcement follows a non-political track in our country, where evidence gets preserved. Things are archived. People aren&#8217;t allowed to just take the White House tapes out into a barrel and burn them in the backyard, and if they did, they&#8217;d get in trouble.&#8221;
H/T <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2018/12/18/maddow-i-am-religious-personand-liberty-university-isnt-actual">Newsbusters</a>

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