So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. [71], In 2006, while still governor, Perdue made a cameo appearance as the coach of the East Carolina Pirates football team in the movie We Are Marshall, large portions of which were filmed in Georgia. Gov. 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 is it about this job that appeals to him? Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. [32] Perdue disappointed some Georgians by not making the 1956 flag one of the choices on the ballot, despite a campaign promise to do so. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. Sonny Perdue won the 2002 Georgia governor's race, defeating the incumbent, Democrat Roy Barnes, to become the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. I think Steve really was making maybe about a half million dollars when he retired, so that's way more than the governor of Georgia was making. White House Seeks To Lower Farmworker Pay To Help Agriculture - NPR It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue Eric Stirgus: Yes. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. USDA Increases Monthly SNAP Benefits by 40% | USDA Is that right? [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was a plum post for the political novice, which he used as a springboard that helped propel him to a US Senate seat in 2014. How did we find out about that? [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. 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? 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. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. The latest scrutiny stems from Perdues wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development a complex web of trusts, land parcels, holding companies and subsidiaries. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. 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. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. Atlanta, GA 30318 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. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . She says a lot of things. Senate Republicans aghast at Perdue's false election claims in - CNN From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. Yes. June 23, 2021. We've been hearing that Gov. 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. 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 . 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. 260 14th St. NW He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. Similarly, while the pandemic savaged meatpacking workers, killing at least 563 as of mid-December, the ag department kept on with a trend it had started in 2019: allowing giant poultry companies to speed up their slaughterhouse kill lines. Your support makes this possible. At least he is out of the gate. Thanks for listening. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. How Perdue's power benefits his friends - POLITICO Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Perdue is poised within . 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. 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. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. His name is Sonny Perdue. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2023 demands. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. He left in June. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. In 2005, Georgia state Rep. Larry ONealPerdues personal lawyermanaged to pass what the Atlanta Journal-Constitution called a seemingly mundane tax bill thatincluded a a last-minute change that saved the governor an estimated $100,000 in state taxes. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgia's Public Universities It's a little off the beaten path. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. 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. 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. He stated that legitimate, measurable carbon trading could spur so-called carbon sequestration by giving farmers an incentive to innovate. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Report: ADM sold plant to Sonny Perdue weeks after being named Trump ag 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 . His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. 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." There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. 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. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. 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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System [54] In December 2018, he changed the nutrition standards for school lunches to allow more refined grains, allow milk with added sugar, and increased sodium. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. [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. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a regional agency to threaten the accreditation of the 26-school system. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? This is the golden rule do unto others.". 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. 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. 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. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. Conley. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? I'm Steve Fennessy. earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel, publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages, lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers, more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout, join us with a tax-deductible donation today. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. 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. Terms of Service apply. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . Perdues response? Sonny Perdue age, height, net worth 2023, wife, girlfriend, kids Come on board with me. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. SteveFennessyis host of Georgia Today,a weekly radio show and podcast on Georgia Public Broadcasting thatexplains stories of interest to Georgians through the experience and perspective of the reporters covering those stories. [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. This is diversity and inclusion. Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia - USG Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. It pays pretty well. We'll be back next week. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? - Vim Buzz Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, will be the first woman to head the institution, a large-scale, low-cost online Master of Science degree program. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. 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. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. Ethics authorities have already issued warnings to a dozen Trump administration officials for violating the Hatch Act, but Perdues straightforward appeal to reelect Trump was seen as especially flagrant. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. Each of those firms is owned by Perdue Business Holdings Inc., and Secretary Perdues newly created FALF Management Trust of which the secretary is a co-trustee owns 100 percent of the voting stock in Perdue Business Holdings, according to his 2019 disclosure. [72], In 2006, Perdue's financial disclosure forms revealed that he had a net worth of approximately $6 million and received compensation of $700,000 that year.[73]. Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary [7] [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. Has he said, "I'm supporting the guy who's pushing my candidacy for chancellor" or "I'm supporting my cousin who's running against him"? Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. Mr. Perdue, a graduate of the University of Georgia, said he considered the opportunity to lead the university system, which has more than 340,000 students, as the capstone to a career of public service. Sonny Perdue is a rarity: A Trump Cabinet member who went the - ajc I ran because I was frustrated with the government. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. That's next. 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? Personal: Perdue. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. Raphael Warnock. 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. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. [60] In August 2019, Lewis Ziska, a USDA plant physiology climate scientist, quit after department administrators attempted to impede the publication of one of his studies in the journal Science Advances. Perdue claimed a combined $511,800 in income from Perdue Inc., a trucking company; Houston Fertilizer & Grain Co., which manages commercial real estate in Bonaire, Ga.; and StarPort Logistics LLC. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. 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. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. [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. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. [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. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. [News tape] WSB: Gov. And so, you know, they point to things like that and they also point to issues, you know, point to things that, you know, hey, other states have hired elected officials and former politicians to lead colleges or universities. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. 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. (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: 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? Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. Georgia's higher ed system taps acting leader, passing on Sonny Perdue In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. Revoking accreditation to schools including the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State and Georgia Southern would be a monumental step. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Since joining the Trump administration, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's complicated network of ties to Georgia-based entities including his family's company, Perdue Partners raised questions about potential conflicts of interest as well as his working relationship with his cousin, Georgia Sen. David Perdue. Former US Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue were named chancellor of the University System of Georgia by the Board of Regents today (USG). 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. In research shared with POLITICO, Accountable.US alleges that farm policies backed by the secretary could potentially have benefited his own or his familys interests beyond the two agribusinesses that were sold.
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