But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". 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. Why is there 19? 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. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. 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. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. 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. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. [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. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. How Trump's Food Box Initiative Overpaid And Underdelivered 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. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. All Rights Reserved. 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. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. Sonny Perdue: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Kemp continues to be grateful for that support, and he feels some, you know, some loyalty, from what we've been hearing from our sources towards Sonny Perdue. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. How is that number arrived at? 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. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." It's a little off the beaten path. 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). 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. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and What's the implication there? Personal: Perdue. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. Georgia Runoff: Perdue-Ossoff Senate Race Heads To Runoff : NPR - NPR.org 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. 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? Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told the crowd at last week's event in North Carolina that he got a call from the White House. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? 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. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. Perdue addressed the crowd, saying "We've come together here simply for one reason and one reason only: to very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm" and "God, we need you; we need rain." He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." There, he managed a workforce of 110,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the stated objective of being the most efficient, effective and customer-friendly agency in the . 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.. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp have a longstanding relationship politically, and then you have Sonny Perdue's cousin who is running against the governor now in the GOP primary. 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. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. 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 . 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. The property (in Estill, South Carolina) had originally been purchased by ADM for 5.5 million dollars, and independent assessments and government tax assessors agree on that as a fair range; however, AGrowStar was offered the property for US$250,000, a fraction of its value. 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.. Trump Cabinet Member Sonny Perdue Appears To Acknowledge - HuffPost [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. 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." Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. [55], In July 2019, Perdue ordered two USDA agenciesthe Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agricultureto move from the USDA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City metropolitan area. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Perdue led Ossoff in the . From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. Georgia's higher ed system taps acting leader, passing on Sonny Perdue 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. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". 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 . I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings Raphael Warnock. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. But her critics have said thatwhat she calls a COVID Crime Wave and her handling of the firing of Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Rayshard Brooks last summer, made her vulnerable if she had chosen to run. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." There may be that short list that some of these members of the Board of Regents have, but they're not allowed to discuss it publicly. That's next. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. . What will Sonny Perdue do if he becomes Georgia system's - ajc Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Who hires the chancellor? 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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. The new questions surrounding Perdues 2017 agreement follow his rebuke last week by the Office of Special Counsel for using a taxpayer-funded event to promote President Donald Trumps reelection, in violation of the Hatch Act. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Eric Stirgus: Good question. 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. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? 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. Eric Stirgus: Correct. 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. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? We'll be back next week. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. [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. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. 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. [7] [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. Senator David Perdue by their grandfather George Ervin Perdue I. On December 30, 2016, Perdue's company AGrowStar purchased property and a facility from Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), a large American agribusiness corporation that the Department of Agriculture regulates. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education 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. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. But Perdue is struggling. Terms of Service apply. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. (Washington, D.C., April 28, 2020) - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open during the COVID-19 national emergency. [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. Sonny Perdue Age: 75 Birthplace: Perry, Georgia Political History: Georgia state senator, 1991-2002; governor, 2003-2011; U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, 2017-2021. I'm Steve Fennessy. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. 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. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 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. She says a lot of things. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. [44], Upon the end of Perdue's term as governor, many in the Georgia General Assembly condemned the project and Perdue after an advisory council (appointed by Perdue) began to funnel additional bond money to the project located in his home county. Gov. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. 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. [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. This is Georgia Today. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. Now to me, Eric, that sounds like a kind of an implied threat that appointing Sonny Perdue as chancellor could mean that we'd lose accreditation. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. 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. Unquote. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. 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. 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. 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. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress.
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