Falwell’s son out as VP at Liberty University

The son of Jerry Falwell Jr. is out of his job as vice president at Liberty University nearly eight months after his father resigned as president of the Christian school amid allegations of inappropriate personal behavior and financial self-dealing.

Liberty University spokesperson Scott Lamb on Wednesday confirmed to POLITICO that Trey Falwell was “no longer employed by the university.” That development, Lamb said, occurred “this week,” but he declined to provide any additional details about what happened. Lamb also declined to answer questions about whether Jerry Falwell Jr.’s other son, Wesley, or his daughters-in-law were currently employed by the university. Liberty “does not answer questions about personnel,” he said.

The move is a strong signal that the powerhouse evangelical university is seeking aggressively to distance itself from its former president — even as he hints at a possible comeback. Falwell, the eldest son of Liberty’s founder, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. — has been advertising his visits to the university on social media. He told POLITICO in an interview published earlier this month that the Liberty community still embraces him.

“The employees and the board have been nothing but supportive, 100 percent,” Falwell said. “The students all want to get their picture with me. They thank me.”

Following the publication of that story, however, Jerry Prevo, the university’s acting president, instructed employees to avoid communicating with Jerry Falwell Jr. or his wife, Becki, and to immediately report to the university if they receive any contact from the Falwells about university business.

“No Liberty University employee at any level is permitted to communicate with Jerry Falwell, Jr. or Becki Falwell about university matters,” Prevo said in a statement emailed to university employees that was obtained by POLITICO. The five-paragraph statement outlines restrictions on communication with the Falwells and notes that the “easiest way to avoid any issue is to not take calls or otherwise respond to messages from Jerry or Becki Falwell until further notice.”

“Liberty University is engaged in a forensic investigation focused on the university’s operations during Jerry Falwell Jr.’s tenure,” the statement from Prevo said. “This notice is sent to preserve the integrity of the investigation and ensure that Jerry Falwell Jr. is not having any influence on the investigation or the university’s operations, directly or indirectly.”

The investigation, led by accounting firm Baker Tilly, was announced by the university’s board last fall to examine Liberty’s business dealings under Falwell.

Falwell resigned last year in the wake of a swirl of controversy over his and his wife’s personal lives. A former pool attendant at a Miami hotel, Giancarlo Granda, claimed he engaged in a lengthy affair with Becki while Jerry sometimes watched. The couple has acknowledged Becki’s affair with Granda, but denied that Jerry ever participated. POLITICO later reported on the account of a former Liberty student who said he had a sexual encounter with Becki when he stayed over at the family’s house.

Liberty University officials have been struggling, in particular, in recent months to navigate the university’s relationship with Falwell’s sons and daughters-in-law, all of whom were employed by the university, according to people familiar with discussions among senior leaders at the school.

Trey Falwell, who is in his early 30s, served as vice president of university operations, earning a salary of $234,310, according to the university’s most recent tax filing. He was simultaneously a senior official at Liberty while operating a real estate management company that oversees a shopping plaza owned by the university.

Trey’s wife, Sarah, was previously employed by the university as “Executive Director of Career Partnerships & Career Services” and paid $72,211 in 2019, according to tax documents and her LinkedIn profile.

Liberty also sold a three-bedroom home on 21 acres of land on its grounds to Trey Falwell in 2015. The university said that the $225,000 transaction reflected the fair market value of the property. The university did not disclose the sale in its annual tax filings at the time, but subsequently filed an amended tax return.

Trey Falwell did not respond to a request to comment from POLITICO this week.

His departure follows closely on the heels of another university shake-up. Last week, David Nasser, longtime campus pastor, resigned. He was replaced with Jonathan Falwell, Jerry’s brother and pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, founded by their father.

The Falwell brothers have pursued different visions of how to carry out their father’s legacy. Jonathan is an ordained minister, with a large following. Jerry is an attorney and real estate developer, who has also cultivated close ties to politicians, including former President Donald Trump.