His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Perdue is poised within . There's been some social media push against him. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. He was there at the end. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Subsequently, the trust sold off AGrowStar LLC and Pro Ag Products LLC (none of the other assets posed any conflict of interest with his duties as Secretary of Agriculture). The COVID-19 crisis served as yet another opportunity to promote the political fortunes of his boss, without impeding his pursuit of a pro-agribusiness, anti-worker agenda. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. But Perdue is struggling. It's a little off the beaten path. Gov. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. But should it go to a politician? Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, there's just some uncertainty among many faculty members about, you know, who will eventually serve in the position and you know what role they may take on, you know, on this, you know, systems operations. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. Watchdog organizations are now calling for the Agriculture Departments inspector general to investigate whether Perdue has run afoul of the ethics agreement he signed as a nominee for the job early in the Trump administration. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". The watchdog groups are now seeking information about whether Perdue was involved in a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers which works with USDA on some wetlands restoration efforts to reallocate Soque River Conservations credits in a way that significantly increased their value. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is sort of the person who makes sure all the trains run on time, so to speak. Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is hired by the Board of Regents as a 19-member body, and all of those folks are appointed by the governor and so they serve seven-year terms. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. He continued his effort to cut their wages, ultimately teaming with the Department of Labor on a rule change that will result in an aggregate wage cut worth at least $170.68 million annually over the next ten yearsa transfer of money from low-wage workers to relatively wealthy farm owners. According to the Georgia government's website on Confederate History Month, they also participated in the manufacture of products for the war effort, built naval ships, and provided military assistance and relief efforts"[38] The proclamation was criticized by historians for its historical inaccuracies,[39] although there were, in fact, African-Americans who served the Confederacy. We'll be back next week. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. And so, you know, I think he was one of those, you know, members who, you know, was part of that faction were against it. The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. Governor Perdue stood out for his impressive experience and leadership in public service as well as a vast understanding not only of Georgia and its communities but of the issues facing the university system as we move forward, Harold Reynolds, the chair of the Board of Regents, said in a statement on Monday. Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. They range from Georgia State University, which has the most students in the system, like about 53,000 students; Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State both of those schools have about 40,000 students each and then University of Georgia. Atlanta, GA 30318 Steve Fennessy: When you look at past chancellors in the university system of Georgia, is that a position where the person who gets the job is typically coming from a higher educational background? Some would say the most important job is, you know, making sure that money that comes from the state is sent to the schools and is being spent properly. Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. This is Georgia Today. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . However, Perdue was faced with a Democratic House that would not allow the 1956 flag to be included in the referendum, due to its Confederate origins, and he needed support for a tobacco tax he wanted to pass to raise revenue. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. An investigationby the Food and Environment Reporting Networks Leah Douglas found that at least 40 percent of chicken plants operating at the higher speeds experienced COVID outbreaks, versus 14 percent for the overall meat sector. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. [63], In August 2020, Perdue supported the president's re-election while promoting the Farmers to Families Food Box Program; Perdue was fined for violating the Hatch Act. Secretary Perdue complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of ethics officers at USDA when he restructured the Perdue Family Revocable Management Trust into a new family management trust, in which the secretary and his wife had no ownership interest and were not trustees, the spokesperson said in a statement. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. He served two terms,. But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? [50], In September 2017, Politico reported that, according to 42 reviewed resumes, the department hired 22 former Trump campaign workers, many of which had no significant agricultural knowledge or experience with federal policies. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Why are we still talking about this, then? So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. Terms of Service apply. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[26] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year. Enlivened by these bald lies, and perhaps feeling a competitive spark, Perdue replied that Trump is the embodiment of the amazing spirit that built this country. He sounded quite satisfied after a year spent campaigning for his boss while inflicting lasting damage to poor people and food-system workers during a deadly pandemic that the administration did so very little to control. Perdue wrote that "liberals have lost all credibility when it comes to climate science because their arguments have become so ridiculous and so obviously disconnected from reality. Eric Stirgus: During his time as agriculture secretary there was, you know, there's been some criticism about his record, you know, concerning issues such as climate change. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. [57] Current and former employees of the ERS were strongly critical of the relocation to Kansas City, saying the resulting exodus of scientific and economic talent caused disruption to federal research, especially on climate change and food security. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. This is Georgia Today. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. DECATUR The Washington Post on Tuesday published a story that Archer Daniels Midland Co. sold a grain storage plant valued at millions of dollars to Sonny Perdue for $250,000 weeks after he . According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, payments on the Go Fish bonds, approved by Perdue and the General Assembly in 2007, runs through December 2027 with most payments $1 million a year in bond money. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. June 23, 2021. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? Eric Stirgus: Yes, I think the governor could certainly use this on the campaign trail and, you know, to, you know, David Perdue supporters and say, "Hey, look, you know, I've made Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the university system. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. After the sale, the huge boiler on the property was sold for approximately $500,000, easily covering the cost of the purchase even if the rest of the land had been valueless. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. Unquote. And then also there has been, through the congressional redistricting process, you know, because of some changes insome of the districts, you know, we've had two additional changes on the regents where two members are now no longer on the board and the governor has replaced another one of those members and all three of the members that he has replaced are people who have been, you know, very supportive of the governor in the past through campaign contributions and other ways. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Perdue led Ossoff in the . Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. In the podcasts final episode before the election, released Oct. 29, Perdue hosted another MAGA loyalist, the high-living former Wall Street man and TV personality Larry Kudlow, the non-economist who Trump improbably chose to lead the National Economic Council. RELATED: Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. The business holdings were a source of concern during his confirmation process, as well as during his time as Georgia governor from 2003-11, when he faced more than a dozen ethics complaints and was found to have funneled illegal amounts of money from his businesses to his campaign in 2002. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. And I'm curious about why it's elicited such a ferocious response on the side of those who are for the idea, but also those who are against it. After serving as a member of the Houston County Planning & Zoning Commission in the 1980s, Perdue ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly. Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. USDA said the reorganization of Perdues finances was cleared by career ethics staff, pointing to the secretarys 2019 financial disclosure that was signed by ethics officials. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. [11], Perdue played quarterback at Warner Robins High School and was a walk-on at the University of Georgia,[12] where he was also a member of the Beta-Lambda chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity. David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. The state's Board of Regents on Wednesday named a veteran finance official as the acting chancellor of Georgia's public university system, stalling former Gov. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said today that he did not plan to step down from his Cabinet duties, amid reports that the president is getting ready to make several . The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. Eric Stirgus: I think you would have many people who would say that it is a political decision or that the board members themselves have, you know, some say depending on their own personal politics. In this 2017 post, I recount some of the port-related shenanigans the cousins Perdue got up to together, including launching a port-reliant export business. Why isn't he going back to his farm? Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Steve Fennessy: News that Sonny Perdue will, in all likelihood be the university system of Georgia's next chancellor comes at a time when state legislators are debating bills about how racial history should be taught in classrooms. [34] In a 2014 editorial published by National Review, Perdue criticized attempts by "some on the left or in the mainstream media" to connect climate change to weather events. American Oversight and another watchdog group, Accountable.US, claim that violates Perdues 2017 agreement with ethics officials that he would restructure his original family trust and transfer all of its stock in Perdue Business Holdings to a new, irrevocable trust that wouldnt be overseen by or benefit the secretary. George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III[1] (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. Why is there 19? [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. Economists in the USDA's research branch were told to include disclaimers in their peer-reviewed publications stating that the findings were "preliminary" and "should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy". Critics argued that the deal should be investigated, and speculated that ADM, which spends millions of dollars on lobbying regardless, used the property sale as a bribe for favorable treatment. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. Eric Stirgus: There have been some faculty members who have, you know, written letters to the University System of Georgia, you know, stating their opposition. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. 260 14th St. NW Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pledged in 2017 to separate himself from his multimillion dollar business holdings that could pose conflicts of interest in his public duties. While Perdue puffed up the generosity of his boss, the USDA was busy botching the food-relief effort, awarding fat contracts to distributors ill-equipped to handle them, with the result that some parts of the country got a lot of food, while others got very little, NPR reported. The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . Launched in October 2019, a week after the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry against Trump, the show began with an appearance from Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Other issues addressed by Perdue include assisting rural communities, helping farmers operate with less regulation, increasing exports, passing the 2018 farm bill, and addressing crop damage caused by dicamba. The association has publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, a process that largely occurred in meetings without faculty input and closed to the public. You know, he provided the money for the budget for the university system, and he understands how the system, you know, to a certain degree, you know, how the system works. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . [24], Late in the evening of March 29, 2005, the penultimate day of the legislative session, Representative Larry O'Neal, who also worked part-time as Perdue's personal lawyer, introduced legislation making capital gains tax owed on Georgia land sales deferrable if the income goes to purchase out-of-state land, also, unusually, making the tax break retroactive. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. Perdue restructured his original family trust into a new fund that he did not oversee, and the fund then sold off two of his businesses directly involved in agriculture the only assets that posed potential conflicts, according to a USDA spokesperson. If a college loses accreditation, warned the agencys president, Belle S. Wheelan, it could cause enrollment declines, lead to bad publicity and revoke the schools access to federal money. Mr. Kemp had received Mr. Trumps endorsement in 2018, but their relationship deteriorated following the Kemp administrations refusal to undermine Georgias presidential election results in 2020. (Washington, D.C., April 22, 2020) - Today, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced emergency benefit increases have reached $2.0 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households across all 50 states and 3 territories to increase food security during the coronavirus national emergency. Eric Stirgus: And then there's been issues that a lot of Republican lawmakers have been bringing up to in the Georgia Legislature in recent years about campus speech issues that they feel that, you know, students and groups cannot speak freely on college campuses, particularly conservatives. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Steve Fennessy: It's interesting the the letter was addressed to Sachin Shailendra, who at the time was chair of the Board of Regents, but is one of those members who redistricting kind of pushed out so he's no longer on the Board of Regents. Who hires the chancellor? But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. In 2018, while Perdue was secretary, Soque River Conservation asked the Army Corps to modify the credits held by the company in a way that could boost its value by nearly $3 million, the groups estimate. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). And besides the national prominence afforded any state governor, Perdue garnered widespread attention for his actions in 2007 during the worst drought in Georgia's history. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. That's next. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. You know, it's kind of a fascinating situation that, you know, your cousin is running for governor and at the same time his political opponent could be putting you in charge of one of the most important positions in state government. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. The Perdue USDA also insisted that federally funded grocery boxes distributed by food banks contain a letter signed by Trump, touting the administrations coronavirus response. Sonny Perdue's . In July, with the economic fallout from the pandemic generating a massive hunger crisis, Perdue alighted on North Carolina, a key swing state, to stage a rally promoting congressionally mandated food aid as an example of the personal benevolence of Donald Trump. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. He won the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes 51% to 46%, with Libertarian candidate Garrett Michael Hayes taking 2% of the vote. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. A former two-term governor of Georgia, George Ervin Perdue III, known throughout his life as Sonny, served as Agriculture Secretary from 2017 to 2021. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. How did we find out about that? I'm Steve Fennessy. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. And so now he's no longer on the regents. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. Inexpensive, too! Chris Saeger, a spokesperson for Accountable.US, said the reorganization of Perdues assets from one trust to another appears to be nothing more than a shell game and a maze of technicalities and denials..
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