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. 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. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. 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. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. after feeling punished under Trump", 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie', The Trump administration is suppressing climate science, "US agriculture secretary breaks ranks to endorse carbon pricing", "USDA chief violated Hatch Act by advocating for Trump re-election, gov't watchdog says", "USDA's Perdue fined for violating Hatch Act while promoting food boxes", "Perdue rebuked for violating ethics law by boosting Trump's reelection", "The land was worth millions. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Find them all here. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. You know, I guess at the time, they sort of came to an impasse and there was a search firm that was hired to help with the process, but pulled out of the process. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. Come on board with me. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. The secretarys numerous and labyrinthine financial interests in agribusiness and land development makes it essential that his ethical commitments be rigorously enforced so as not to create a conflict of interest, Austin Evers, the groups executive director, wrote last week in a letter to the IGs office. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. He also won reelection in 2000. 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. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. On March 1, 2022, the Board of Regents of University System of Georgia appointed Perdue as the system's 14th chancellor, effective April 1, 2022. 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. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. I'm Steve Fennessy. . Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." A chancellors job is to defend the system against such bills, said Matthew Boedy, a rhetoric and composition professor at the University of North Georgia and the president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. Sonny Perdue is cousins with David Perdue, who is now engaged in a bitter primary battle against Brian Kemp Brian Kemp, who, of course, is backing Sonny Perdue. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. I'm Steve Fennessy. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. While it is often especially difficult for members of a governing board who are appointed by the governor or legislative body to remain independent in their work, it is imperative that they do or they place the accreditation of the institution they govern in jeopardy." Secretary Perdue has visibility into and control over the trusts and their underlying assets, and he continues to benefit from them despite the plain terms of his 2017 ethics agreement, Evers wrote to the inspector general. [67], Regardless of whether the deal was intended to influence Perdue's actions, and if it was if it actually had any impact, the Perdue years were good ones for ADM. Now the nonprofit American Oversight is asking USDAs inspector general to review the new structure of Perdues assets and determine whether it violates the commitments he made as a nominee for the job in 2017. What's the implication there? USDAs unprecedented farm subsidies have also fueled criticism that taxpayer dollars are being used to keep farmers and ranchers in Trumps corner ahead of the election especially as the president repeatedly touts the money at campaign rallies as his own personal gift to agriculture. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. The FALF Management Trust had no conflicting assets with his duties as Secretary of Agriculture, and therefore the Secretary could become a trustee of the trust. "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be . Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. "[37], According to a March 5, 2008, proclamation by Perdue, "Among those who served the Confederacy were many African-Americans, both free and slave, who saw action in the Confederate armed forces in many combat roles. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. Kemp. Gov. Is that right? Raphael Warnock. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Steve Fennessy: So that's not something you can just push aside because you don't like what one of their family members is doing. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. When you go this long without having a permanent chancellor on board, what signal does that send or how does that affect the operations of our schools? Through it all, Perdue maintained his extraordinary podcast, The Sonnyside of the Farm, a monthly testament to the genius of his boss and the glory of big agribusiness. 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. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. But last year, he disclosed he had become trustee of a newly formed fund that includes many of the same assets as his original family trust. 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. 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. You know, I've worked with him, but you know, I just didn't feel like, you know, he was the best person for the job. of Agriculture", "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 115th Congress 1st Session", "Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia", "Meet David PerdueHe Might Be Georgia's Next Senator", National Governors Association: Sonny Perdue, "Trump taps former Georgia governor for agriculture secretary", "Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Perdue Farms Plans Major Expansion in Georgia", "Official Results of the November 5, 2002 General Election", "Ethical Lapses Trail Nominee For Agriculture Conflicts of Interest as Governor of Georgia", "3 minutes, 1 tax bill, $100,000 for Sonny Perdue", "Georgia climbs in SAT rankings despite drop in score", "2008 SAT Results Highlight Need for Rigor", "Georgia View: Sonny Perdue's Non-Legacy", "Georgia leaders try to skip controversy in flag vote", "Tom Price, Kasim Reed, Sonny Perdue and the Art of the Georgia Deal", "Statement of Governor Sonny Perdue Regarding Court Ruling to Stay Transition to Reformulated Gasoline", "Georgia Enacts a Tough Law on Immigrants", The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: The "Great Truth", "Trump could name Agriculture Secretary whose drought strategy was to pray for rain", "Yes, There Were Black Confederates. 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. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). How did we find out about that? Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. It pays pretty well. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Steve Fennessy: So I'm guessing that maybe he wants to stay out of this altogether, or do we know if he is going to make any kind of public statement endorsing one way or the other? Terms of Service apply. It is simply unacceptable for people to sneak into this country illegally on Thursday, obtain a government-issued ID on Friday, head for the welfare office on Monday, and cast a vote on Tuesday, he declared, backing up his rancid lies with a crackdown on undocumented people. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. In July, as the general election heated up, the department tapped a Depression-era funding mechanism called the Commodity Credit Corporation to come up with $14 billionwithout having to consult Congressto hand to producers of commodities like corn, soybeans and wheat, ostensibly for losses due to the coronavirus. 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. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Eric Stirgus: Yeah it's an important issue because, you know, colleges and universities that do not have accreditation, they can their students cannot get federal financial aid that helps pay for tuition for a lot of college students. What does it mean to be a chancellor? [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? 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. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Undeterred by the pandemic-led spike in hunger, Perdue also doubled- and tripled-down on a long-held goal: boosting work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would eliminate food aid forat least 1.2 million peopleabout a third of them households containing senior citizens, nearly a quarter with children, and 11 percent with a disabled person, according tononpartisan think tank Mathematica. Kemp can use that to the Republican base and say, "Hey, you know, I have one of the most loyal Trump guys you know, and, you know, if I appointed him to a very important position here in state government and we know we've had a long-standing relationship. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. He was there at the end. [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. 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. Citing export losses from Trumps trade war with China, the USDA lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers with $28 billion in 2018 and 2019more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. 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. Steve Fennessy: Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor and president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times that, quote, "a chancellor's job is to defend the system against such bills. Unquote. Perdue is poised within . Later, FALF Management Trust was created. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who like Grassley is up for reelection in 2022, said he hasn't "paid a lot of attention" to Georgia's governor race, saying "we got our hands full . This is diversity and inclusion. 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 new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. 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. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." Not surprisingly, the news has dismayed many, both inside and outside of academic circles, who worry that Sonny Perdue is conservative politics will set the university system on a dangerous course and even put the system's accreditation at risk. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. We'll be back next week. The Georgia Board of Regents on Tuesday named former governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as the sole finalist to lead the state's University System. A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue's company for $250,000", "Agriculture secretary pick Perdue led big political change in Georgia", "Official: Perdue flew copter without license", "Governor Perdue Makes Acting Debut in "We Are Marshall", Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Perdue&oldid=1142223043, Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Republican Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Presidents pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, Republican Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state), Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:05. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? 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. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. This is Georgia Today. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. Then the pandemic hit, ripping through migrant farm worker communities, who toiled on with little in the way of protective gear or opportunities for social distancing. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. I give him my full and total endorsement.". Secretary Perdue did nothing wrong when he complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of career ethics officers at USDA (at considerable personal expense) to restructure his trusts.. 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. Republican Sen. David Perdue, a former Fortune 500 CEO, will face off against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old media executive, again in a runoff election Jan. 5. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. There's been some social media push against him. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. [64][65][66], In June 2021, a news story broke of financial dealings Perdue had after his nomination as Secretary of Agriculture but before his confirmation. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. His name is Sonny Perdue. What is that history? Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. But last year,. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. (Washington, D.C., April 25, 2017) - Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony today at the Supreme Court building. Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave?
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