Jerry Falwell, Jr.’s Use of Yacht Comes Under Financial Scrutiny

Sadly, far too many of the self-styled leaders of the evangelicals and so-called "Christian Right" -,I call them scamvangelists - are grifters who have one real goal: to line their pockets with money and secure political power.  Christ's message and true charitable works are nowhere on their radar.  One such individual is Jerry Falwell, Jr., who was recently placed on an indefinite leave of absence after posting a questionable photo of himself, pants unzipped with a woman not his wife. Now, however, more questions have arisen from the photo: has Falwell used Liberty University's funds for so-called sponsorships that have lavished personal benefits on Falwell and his family.  A piece in Politico looks at these new concerns about Falwell's self-dealing.  Here are highlights:

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. has repeatedly used a 164-foot yacht owned by NASCAR mogul Rick Hendrick for family vacations after the university committed to a lucrative sponsorship deal with Hendrick Motorsports, according to former and current Liberty employees and social media posts by the Falwell family.

It was on his most recent yacht vacation — spent with his wife, Becki, their children and friends — that the evangelical leader and prominent supporter of President Donald Trump posted a photo with his pants unzipped and arm around his wife’s personal assistant that led to his indefinite suspension.

Since at least 2018, Liberty has sponsored a car with Hendrick Motorsports, a contract that typically runs well into the millions of dollars. The contract is private, so exactly how much the university is paying for the multiyear sponsorship is unknown. In 2017, for instance, Farmers Insurance paid Hendrick Motorsports $8 million for a similar NASCAR team sponsorship, according to court filings about the contract later obtained by ESPN. A Liberty employee familiar with the university’s contract with Hendrick Motorsports said the sponsorship payment varies slightly by year but amounts to roughly $6 million annually.

In July 2019, Falwell posted a series of photos of him and his family in the Bahamas swimming with sharks, cave diving, fishing in a "Hendrick Marine" t-shirt and, according to a caption, snorkeling in the decaying ruins of a drug smuggling plane once used by Pablo Escobar. The posts were accompanied by a photo of Wheels.

The previous summer, Falwell posted photos of himself and his family sunbathing, touring and jet-skiing on a yacht in Greece. He did not mention Wheels, but identified the yacht as belonging to a Liberty supporter.

The Falwells’ most recent vacation, this July in Key West, was perhaps the most celebratory of all: Falwell’s daughter Caroline got engaged. . . . . Falwell did not respond to emailed requests for comment on whether he paid anything for the use of the yacht. Wheels typically rents for at least $200,000 for one week, according to online information about chartering the boat.

Through its arrangement with Hendrick Motorsports, Liberty has been sponsoring one of its drivers, William Byron — a Liberty online student — since at least 2018. Last fall, the university extended its sponsorship through 2021. Liberty is a significant sponsor of Byron’s team, so much so that he wears Liberty’s navy and red colors and drives a car with Liberty’s logo splashed across its hood.

A Liberty spokesperson declined to answer questions about whether use of the yacht was in any way related to the sponsorship agreement.

[I]if the use of the yacht was limited to Falwell and his personal guests, the arrangement might raise questions about whether Falwell's vacations are a motivation for Liberty’s ongoing sponsor of Hendricks' NASCAR team, said Eve Borenstein, a nonprofit lawyer at the firm of Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg.

“All of the dollars they have, every single asset they have, has to be spent to charitable ends,” Borenstein said.

This is not the first time that Falwell’s financial oversight of the university has come under scrutiny.