Jerry Falwell, a controversial US evangelist and leading member of the country's Christian right, has died, his assistant said.
The 73-year-old fo
"That is true, it's over," said Duke Westover, Falwell's assistant, when asked about his death.
A familiar face on the 'televangelist' circuit, Falwell's views on a range of social issues placed him on the far right of the American political spectrum.
Under the banner of his Moral Majority group, Falwell campaigned against abortion, homosexuality and feminism, as well as other issues that conflicted with fundamentalist Christian beliefs.
He became infamous for making inflammatory statements against blacks, Muslims, Jews, and civil and women's rights activists.
His alliance with Republican conservatives was instrumental in helping elect Ronald Reagan to the US presidency twice in the 1980s.
He stepped down as president of the Moral Majority in 1987.