[News tape] CNN: The former president recruited the former Sen. David Perdue to mount a primary challenge to Gov. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. Report: ADM sold plant to Sonny Perdue weeks after being named Trump ag Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. [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: There's something else going on here. 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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. [7] [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. Find them all here. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. 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. [News tape] WSB: Gov. This is Georgia Today. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Eric Stirgus: Correct. 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. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). 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. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. Georgia's higher ed system taps acting leader, passing on Sonny Perdue Entitled President Trumps Affection for American Farmers, the episode featured the host and former White House press secretary competing to see who could lavish the most praise on Trump. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. But Perdue is struggling. Conley. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Sonny Perdue has long mixed personal and political business to benefit his friends and business associates and he's on track to do it again. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. At least he is out of the gate. 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. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Your support makes this possible. Along with the recent Hatch Act violation, Perdue is facing blowback from Democrats and food banks for requiring all contractors under a $4 billion coronavirus relief program to stuff promotional letters signed by Trump into millions of food boxes delivered to hungry families. Steve Fennessy: Initial discussion about the possible candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor for next chancellor of the University of Georgia System, the president of SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Belle Whelan, sends a letter to the chair of the Board of Regents of Georgia. Sonny Perdue age, height, net worth 2023, wife, girlfriend, kids 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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." That's next. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. A department spokesperson claims the 2017 agreement had to refer to the holding company at large, rather than those two firms in particular, because it was the legal entity that owned the businesses. 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. 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. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. What's the implication there? [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. The harangue, which ended with the ag secretary leading a chant of four more years, earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act, which forbids government employees from campaigning while on the job. Sonny Perdue plans to stay on amid Trump Cabinet shakeups What does it mean to be a chancellor? [News tape] WSB: After what the board's chairman described as a nationwide search with, quote, "numerous highly qualified candidates," in the end, the board voted to pick Perdue as the sole finalist for the job. You know, Steve Wrigley, you know, he worked in the university system before he became chancellor, so he did have some of that experience. Who hires the chancellor? 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. 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. 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. "To me it was a boondoggle because of the amount of money they were spending and the location," said Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Who is David Perdue? 8 things to know about the Georgia senator [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. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Perdue and a partner purchased the agricultural land in 2009 and later earned so-called mitigation bank credits for converting the tract for wetland conservation purposes, according to the watchdog organizations. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. 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? after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. 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. [48], During meetings with Georgia state port officials, then-Governor Perdue discussed his family business's use of a terminal, then started a new export company in Savannah soon after leaving office. There are probably about 48,000 employees in the university system, and they range from professors, assistant professors, you know, associate professors, guest lecturers, you know, everything from electricians to people who work in the cafeterias. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. 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. "The. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. [News tape] Alex Ames, student activist, FOX5: And as governor, he chose to defund billions of dollars and begin, you know, a decades-long spree of defunding from our teachers and, you know, students and parent schools that we attend every day. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. White House Seeks To Lower Farmworker Pay To Help Agriculture - NPR A Senate panel backed a bill on Tuesday that would put pressure on local school boards to adhere to the open meetings laws and create barriers to removing disruptive parents from meetings. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. 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. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. 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. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. But should it go to a politician? 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. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? 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. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). [68] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[68] 14 grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. 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). 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. Come on board with me. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. Chancellor | University System of Georgia - USG 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. Perdue is poised within . Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. Secretary Perdue was just chastised for his abuse of tax dollars for political purposes by ethics authorities, so we cannot take these claims at face value, he said. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. (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. Why are we still talking about this, then? So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? How Trump's Food Box Initiative Overpaid And Underdelivered 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. The secretarys 2019 filing also shows nearly $140,000 in income from Soque River Conservation LLC, which holds land along the Soque River in northern Georgia and is held by a separate trust that Perdue first reported last year. 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. 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. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. 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.. It's us but for your ears. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. How is that number arrived at? 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. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. [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. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. 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. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Perdue made his acting debut in "We Are Marshall," a 2006 film about the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, supporters and staff.. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? 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. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. 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. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. The Washington Post detailed several wish-list items that ADM achieved: loosening of regulations on pork production, fewer inspections, helping lobby against proposed government bans on glyphosate by Thailand and Vietnam, and promoting ethanol and biodiesel. [24] The State Ethics Commission ruled against Perdue twice, finding that he had taken improper campaign contributions from donors including SunTrust Banks and that he had improperly used one of his family business's airplanes on the campaign, for which the commission fined the sitting governor. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. Brian Kemp: That's why I'm looking forward to working with the members of the General Assembly this legislative session to protect our students from the divisive ideologies like critical race theory. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system And then a couple of months later, my colleague Greg Bluestein ran into him at an event and Sonny did say that he was interested in the position, if the regents would have him. Eric Stirgus: Good question. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. Once again, left-leaning organizations like American Oversight will do anything they can to stop this administration from helping the American people, the spokesperson said. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. Therefore the new trust Perdue listed on his 2019 financial disclosure, identifying himself as a co-trustee, poses no conflict of interest or violation of his ethics commitments, the spokesperson said. The likely appointment of Mr. Perdue, a Republican, comes during a volatile time in Georgia politics, with the State Legislature considering several bills that would ban, or limit, how race and activism are taught in the classroom. 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. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. 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. He oversees 26 public colleges and universities with a $9.8 billion annual budget, 48,000 faculty and staff and more than 340,000 students. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. 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. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. Sonny Perdue is a rarity: A Trump Cabinet member who went the - ajc [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. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. Jess Mador is our producer. 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. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgia's Public Universities Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. 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." Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings Sonny Perdue - Wikipedia What is that history? (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. June 23, 2021. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. Raphael Warnock. 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. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. 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. Perdue bids farewell: 'We put American agriculture first' - AgriNews 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.