RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. says president elect-Donald Trump offered him the job of Secretary of Education, but he turned it down for personal reasons.
Fallwell told The Associated Press on Saturday that Trump offered him the job last week during a meeting in New York. He says Trump wanted a four- to six-year commitment, but Falwell says he couldn't leave Liberty for more than two years.
Falwell says he couldn't afford to work a cabinet-level job in Washington for longer than that and didn't want to move his family, especially his 16-year-old daughter.
Trump announced Wednesday he had selected charter school advocate Betsy DeVos for the job.
Falwell says he thinks DeVos is an "excellent choice."
Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, is a Christian university and popular campaign stop for conservative politicians. Falwell enthusiastically endorsed Trump in January.
