Jerry Falwell, one of Donald Trump's biggest supporters and president of Liberty Evangelical University, the largest private US university, has resigned after being accused of hypocrisy over a picture of himself unzipping his pants and other accusations that he and his wife had an affair with a young man in his twenties.
His young partner, Giancarlo Granda, said he had an affair with Falwell Jr. and his wife at the same time.
Liberty Evangelical University, which Falwell took over in 2007, has strict rules on conduct and ethics.
The university, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, was founded in 1971 by Falwell's father, Reverend Jerry Falwell. Falwell Jr. took office in 2007. Today, it has more than 100,000 students, all of whom are subject to strict rules of personal life.
Jerry Falwell Jr. (Jr.), 58, is one of the strongest supporters and supporters of US President Donald Trump.
And the American media had reported his resignation, quoting officials in the institution. Then Liberty University issued a statement saying that Falwell Jr. had agreed to resign as president and board of the university, but media reports later said he withdrew his resignation.
But in the end, Falwell confirmed to ABC News and The Wall Street Journal the news of his resignation.
The Executive Committee and the Evangelical College Board said they would meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
Full details of the US President's story with pornographic actress Stormy Daniels
Porn star Stormy Daniels "free" to talk about allegations of sexual relations with Trump
Allegations that he and his wife were involved in a sexual relationship
Falwell was the center of media attention after a picture of him he posted online earlier this month showed him in trousers with his zipper lowered and his arm around the waist of a woman who was with him on a yacht.
The photo sparked outrage and accusations of hypocrisy from politicians on the right and left alike, with Liberty University asking him to take an "indefinite leave of absence".
The other scandal was triggered by Giancarlo Granda, the business partner of Falwell Juniors, who said he had a six-year sexual relationship with evangelical leader Jerry and his wife Becky Falwell.
"Becky and I had a very intimate relationship, and Jerry was sitting in one corner of the room and enjoying watching us."
But Jerry told the "Washington Examiner" that his wife was the one who had an intimate relationship with that young man, and that the latter threatened to expose him, his wife and Liberty University. Falwell referred to the "emotional damage" this relationship had caused him.
Strict university rules
Liberty Evangelical University prohibits "sexual relations outside of biblical marriage." It also imposes strict codes of conduct on how students should behave at the university, including a ban on premarital sex and viewing of media on and off campus that "offends Liberty's standards and traditions," not using profanity and anti-Christian language, and not exchanging messages, sexual content and nudity. .
Students are also required to dress modestly out of fashion at all times and not to overdo their hair in a manner that does not fit the rules of the university.
However, the spread of the image of the university's president, Falwell, unzipping his pants and holding a glass of wine in his hand, sparked anger among students and politicians, right and left. The head of the powerful Republican caucus in the House of Representatives, Mark Waller, called on him to step down immediately. Walker, a member of the university's advisory board, wrote on his Twitter page: "The behavior of Jerry Falwell Jr. is appalling...I am absolutely convinced that he should step down."
How do you justify the image?
"More vacation photos," Falwell wrote on his Instagram account. "A lot of good friends visited us on the yacht, and this one in my glass is just black water."
But after criticism was directed at him from all sides, he explained the circumstances of the picture, justifying his appearance in this way.
He told WLNI radio station in Virginia that the woman who was with him in the picture is his wife's assistant.
"Yeah, the picture was weird, she's pregnant and she couldn't zip her pants, I was trying to zip my jeans too but I couldn't, I haven't worn them for a long time, so I jokingly showed my tummy like her."
Controversial
Falwell sparked controversy throughout his tenure. Last May, he posted on Twitter a picture of a face mask decorated with the image of a person wearing a black face and another wearing the robe of the Ku Klux Klan, in reference to a racial scandal involving the Virginia Democratic governor.
A month ago, a student from Liberty University filed a complaint against the university regarding its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Last year, the former editor of the student newspaper Liberty wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post, accusing Falwell of silencing students and professors "who reject his pro-Trump policies."
Falwell is a prominent right-wing evangelical supporter of the current US president and is often credited with helping get Trump to the White House.
What is the story of the sexual relationship that brought the couple together with a young man in his twenties?
Giancarlo Granda said he was 20 years old when he met married couple Jerry and Becky Falwell while working in the pool at the Fontainebleau Beach Hotel in Miami in March 2012. From there, that month, they began their relationship that lasted until 2018.
Granda told Reuters he was having sex with Becky Falwell while her husband, Jerry, was enjoying watching them.
The young man revealed to Reuters emails, conversations, text messages and other evidence of his intimate relationship with the couple, who have been married since 1987.
Granda added that intimate meetings took place several times a year in hotels in Miami and New York, and sometimes at the couple's home in Virginia.
Granda first surfaced as a figure in Falwell's circle two years ago, when news site BuzzFeed News reported that the couple befriended Granda as partners after they bought a Miami Beach youth hostel in 2013 that Granda runs.
However, the young man's friendship with the couple eventually soured, due to Granda's desire to end his relationship with them and for financial reasons. Granda started by talking about that relationship.
Becky and her husband, Falwell, did not respond to emails, phone calls and texts sent to her by Reuters after it provided them with its initial reports early last week. However, the response came from Jerry's lawyer, Michael Bow, who told Reuters that the evangelical leader "categorically denies everything the agency intends to publish about them."
A major force in American politics
If Falwell steps down, his departure would represent a major setback for conservatives in American political life. His surprise endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016 helped him win the Republican nomination for president twice in New York.
His wife, Becky Falwell, 53, is also a political figure and served on the advisory board of Women for Trump, which advocated for the president's re-election campaign. She also spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference last year (the annual gathering of conservatives). Jerry Falwell and others refer to her as the "First Lady of Liberty University."
clues
The material that Granda provided to Reuters includes screenshots the young man took during his FaceTime conversation with Becky in 2019. The footage shows Becky nude, as they talk about their intimate relationship - while her husband is standing behind the door looking at them.
Reuters was able to verify Granda's description of the footage. The young man also shared another audio recording with the couple, in which Becky talks about their relationship.
The letters all show the romantic relationship between Granda and Becky Falwell.
One of the messages Becky Becky sent to the young man in 2012 says, "Now I miss you like crazy... Have you affected all your girlfriends like this?"
"Since you wish to destroy my life, I will take the same path," Granda wrote in one of his letters to Jerry Falwell after his relationship with his wife was shaken. "Unfortunately I wanted to find a peaceful solution and move on with our lives but if you want war then be it."
In the same thread, Falwell replied, "You should understand now that you can't blackmail me. I've always treated you fairly, stop calling me and my family."
Granda, who entered into a sexual relationship with a couple of his own free will, says that he feels today that the couple has deceived him, perhaps because of his immaturity, naivety or instability, "it is possible that they discovered my psychological situation at the time and considered me the ideal target for their sexual adventures."