Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr agrees to resign -report

Jerry Falwell Jr., one of the most influential figures in the evangelical Christian movement, has agreed to step down as president of Liberty University, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing a school official. Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that a business partner of Falwell said he had a years-long sexual relationship involving Falwell's wife, Becki Falwell, and the evangelical leader.

Jerry Falwell Jr., one of the most influential figures in the evangelical Christian movement, has agreed to step down as president of Liberty University, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing a school official.

Earlier on Monday, Reuters reported that a business partner of Falwell said he had a years-long sexual relationship involving Falwell's wife, Becki Falwell, and the evangelical leader. The business associate, Giancarlo Granda, told Reuters that in a relationship that began in March 2012 and ended in 2018, he would have sex with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell looked on.

As Reuters was preparing to publish its report, Falwell issued a statement to the Washington Examiner saying that his wife had an affair with Granda. Falwell’s statement did not mention Granda’s allegation of a sexual triangle, and he did not address questions from Reuters about the matter. In the statement to the Examiner, Falwell said that "Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved."

A towering figure in the U.S. evangelical political movement, Falwell's 2016 endorsement of Donald Trump helped the twice-divorced New Yorker win the Republican nomination for president. Falwell was placed on paid leave in early August after he put a picture of himself and a woman, with their pants unzipped, on social media.