Jerry Falwell Jr, Religious Right ResearchFalwell may think he has some political clout, but he needs to be reminded that he is running a tax-exempt Christian university, not a political action committee.
Better watch what you say if you’re in a meeting with Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr.
According to a report in the Lynchburg (Va.) News & Advance this week, Falwell secretly videotaped a get-together between university representatives, the mayor and the city manager about the school’s zoning proposals
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Liberty University wants the council to decide in favor of its petition to relax zoning requirements so the school can grow as it sees fit. Falwell claims he was promised that the council will take a speedy 7-0 vote on the issue. To make sure government officials make good on their word, Falwell said he thought it best to record the meeting.
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Liberty University attorney Bill McRorie recently made it clear that if the council doesn’t vote the school’s way before the election, they may be voted out. University officials have aggressively encouraged students to register and vote in local elections, and now it seems these students may be the most influential voting bloc in the area. Knowing his students yield this kind of power, Falwell seems to think he should run all local politics.
We’ve seen him in action before. Americans United reported the university’s church politicking activities to the IRS Feb. 22, after Falwell used school resources to intervene in a November House of Delegates election.
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