The Liberty president vacationed on NASCAR mogul’s yacht after university inked lucrative sponsorship deal.
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.
While much of the controversy surrounding Falwell has focused on his personal behavior — especially in light of Liberty’s conservative Christian values — some trustees are also concerned about his oversight of university funds, current and former Liberty officials told POLITICO.
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.
Hendrick, who has spoken at Liberty’s commencement and whose company helped start an auto dealership management program at its business school, did not respond to a request for comment.
With six bedrooms for guests, marble bathrooms, three wet bars and three separate sun decks, Hendrick’s yacht, Wheels, is renowned for its luxury. It carries jet skis, 15 drop-down televisions, and a 19th century dining table made out of North Carolina walnut in its formal dining room, according to a promotional video and brochure for chartering the yacht. There is space for a crew of eight.
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While much of the controversy surrounding Jerry Falwell Jr. has focused on his personal behavior, some Liberty University trustees are also concerned about his oversight of university funds, current and former officials tell us https://t.co/GhtRQMEPxU
— POLITICO (@politico) August 20, 2020
This is a nice reminder . . .
The GIANT grift at the NRA has just passed through the news cycles. The right-wing activist/entertainment complex is shot-through with corruption, bad faith, and exploitation. https://t.co/xMLxnRVPkH
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 20, 2020
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