By Micah McIntyre, News Editor
On Monday, Politico Magazine reported that documents obtained from some of Falwell’s personal aides revealed that the controversial college president has created a “culture of self-dealing,” allotting university funds to finance projects that benefit his family and associates.
“We’re not a school; we’re a real estate hedge fund,” a senior Liberty official told Politico. “We’re not educating; we’re buying real estate every year and taking students’ money to do it.”
Falwell has since denied the accusations of “self-dealing,” saying that he has “never written a single check, not gotten a single penny from any Liberty transaction except for my salary, which is approved by the board every year.”
In addition to reports of funneling funneling school money, Reuters reported Thursday morning that they had obtained numerous emails sent from Falwell Jr.’s account with derogatory remarks towards Liberty faculty, students and parents. In one of the emails released online, he referred to a Liberty student as “emotionally unstable and physically retarded” and a campus police chief as a “half-wit.”
Other anonymous aides, former faculty and alumni also claimed that faculty and students at Liberty are afraid that Falwell will deal harshly with anybody who speaks negatively about the university. According to these sources, he and his wife, Becki, have been operating this way for years.
Since the release of the emails and the accusations of the anonymous sources connected to Liberty, Falwell says that he will file a suit against six to eight former employees for breaking confidentiality agreements, according to CNN. Falwell has also requested that the FBI investigate the accusers for “criminal conspiracy” in seeking to have him removed as the president of the university.