Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns as president of Liberty University
Falwell had been on a leave of absence as leader of the Christian school.
What does a $1 million salary and a cushy job leading one of the most conservative colleges in America get you?
Apparently, a lot.
For former Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., it meant access to a private jet, pricey vacations and free rein to break some of the school's most ardent rules of conduct.
And following his messy resignation as president of Liberty this week amid a series of personal scandals, it could mean millions more in the bank to fuel his luxury lifestyle.
Falwell took over the evangelical university in 2007 when his father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., died.
The elder Falwell founded the Lynchburg, Va.-based school. Under his son's watch it flourished and now boasts more than $3 billion in assets. On Monday night, Falwell told Fox News he resigned from his post, only to rescind his resignation a few hours later. He later reversed that position and formally tendered his resignation.
Falwell Jr. is due about $10.5 million over the next two years, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited a person close to Falwell who has knowledge of his employment contract. He will get about $1.25 million in salary for two years, followed by a staggering $8 million lump-sum payment because of a clause in his contract that allows him to leave with full pay if his responsibilities are curtailed. He was put on indefinite leave earlier this month after posting a questionable picture on Instagram of him with another woman whose pants were unzipped.
A look at his active social media accounts shows the Falwells enjoying a life of privilege, dotted with trips to Greece made possible by "good friends from the Middle East," as well as vacations in the Bahamas and Florida.
One picture shows the 58-year-old bare-chested on a horse walking through water.
There are several other pictures of the Falwell family at the White House Christmas party with President Trump as well as a few featuring Rush Limbaugh.
"The whole family (minus baby Virginia) at the White House Christmas party last night. We will have the pics with POTUS and FLOTUS in a few days but here's a preview. It was a thrill and honor to finally get to know Rush Limbaugh after listening to him almost daily since 1992!"
The collection of Christmas party pictures also shows the Falwell family posing with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and one of Sarah Lynn Falwell standing in front of a portrait of former President Ronald Reagan.
While none of the pictures is salacious, they do raise red flags about a man who spent decades dedicated to portraying himself as a God-fearing family man -- and moralizing toward others about various topics -- only to be stripped of the title following allegations he participated in a years-long affair with his wife, Becki, and former Miami pool attendant Giancarlo Granda.
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Falwell has denied he had anything to do with the affair and has pinned the blame solely on his wife. He said he forgave her and that she had probably started the relationship with Granda because Falwell spent too much time focusing on his duties as president and chancellor of the Virginia school.
Multiple attempts at reaching Falwell for comment were not returned.
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