President Donald Trump‘s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen claimed in his new book that Liberty University’s former president Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed Trump back in 2016 for a particular reason – Falwell allegedly asked Trump to help prevent the leaking of his wife’s topless photos.
In an interview with CNN, Cohen recalled a time when he helped Falwell negotiate with another lawyer to block “personal photos between a husband and wife.”
Falwell has denied such Cohen’s quid pro quo allegations. “Someone stole some pictures I took of my wife in the back yard. Topless,” he said. “Big deal. Ok? It was no quid pro quo. There was no me supporting Trump because of whatever Michael was doing.”
Falwell explained he endorsed Trump simply because he saw Trump as “a businessman needed to run this country.”
Falwell endorsed Trump before the Republican primaries in Iowa, successfully persuading many white evangelicals to support the then-presidential candidate.
Despite the Access Hollywood tape which revealed Trump discussing groping women and his sexual affairs, Falwell continued to stand beside Trump when they attended the Republican National Convention in 2016.
