But last year,. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. Founder and partner in an agricultural trading company,[4] Perdue served from 2012 to 2017 on the Governors' Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.[3][5] He is the second secretary of agriculture from the Deep South; the first was Mike Espy of Mississippi, who served under President Bill Clinton from January 1993 to December 1994. Trump Cabinet Member Sonny Perdue Appears To Acknowledge - HuffPost They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. 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. Sonny Perdue - New Georgia Encyclopedia What's the implication there? Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. 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. The state's Board of Regents on Wednesday named a veteran finance official as the acting chancellor of Georgia's public university system, stalling former Gov. As governor from 2003 until 2011, he celebrated the states legacy of chattel slaverysigning 2009 legislation making April Confederate History and Heritage Month, honoring the more than 90,000 brave men and women who served the Confederate States of America. He was an early adopter of race-motivated voter suppression, signing into law one of the nations first strict ID laws. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Sonny Perdue - Wikipedia Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. Raphael Warnock. 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. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. 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. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. Eric Stirgus: Yes. 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. 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. Caught in the middle of a Republican overhaul of education, teachers feel under attack, Senate bill cracks down on local school boards' ability to eject disruptive parents from meetings. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. The association has publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, a process that largely occurred in meetings without faculty input and closed to the public. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. 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. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. Perdue bids farewell: 'We put American agriculture first' - AgriNews Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. [11], Perdue played quarterback at Warner Robins High School and was a walk-on at the University of Georgia,[12] where he was also a member of the Beta-Lambda chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Find them all here. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. "[36], On November 13, 2007, while Georgia suffered from one of the worst droughts in several decades, Perdue led a group of several hundred people in prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. 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. Who is David Perdue? 8 things to know about the Georgia senator David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. Perdue is poised within . [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. 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. [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. "The. 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 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. [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. Across the state, teachers have found themselves caught in a conservative battle to ban divisive topics from classrooms, which Republican lawmakers define as a various list of ideas regarding race. 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. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on 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. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia - USG Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. [34] In a 2014 editorial published by National Review, Perdue criticized attempts by "some on the left or in the mainstream media" to connect climate change to weather events. USDA argues that the reorganization Perdue laid out in his 2017 ethics agreement was intended to separate the secretary from two agribusinesses in particular: grain merchandiser AGrowStar LLC and grain marketer Pro Ag Products, both of which were also owned by Perdue Business Holdings before they were sold to outside buyers. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. 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. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. How Perdue's power benefits his friends - POLITICO 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. Is that right? [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. 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. 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. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? - Vim Buzz Unquote. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Trump-backed Perdue struggles in Republican primary challenge in - CNN Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. 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. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. [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. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. I'm Steve Fennessy. 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. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. 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. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. 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. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. [13], In 1971, Perdue earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, and worked as a veterinarian before becoming a small business owner, eventually starting three small businesses. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. 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. 260 14th St. NW Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? 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. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. This is Georgia Today. All Rights Reserved. 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. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. Sonny Perdue is a rarity: A Trump Cabinet member who went the - ajc [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. 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 . Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. 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. Listen on Apple Podcasts. "[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. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. 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 his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. 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. 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. . I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. 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. American Oversight and another watchdog group, Accountable.US, claim that violates Perdues 2017 agreement with ethics officials that he would restructure his original family trust and transfer all of its stock in Perdue Business Holdings to a new, irrevocable trust that wouldnt be overseen by or benefit the secretary. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. [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. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. Brian Kemp is not. Sanders: one of the the most fun, engaging, charming, and charismatic people Ive ever been around. Perdue: he has an amazing instinctive ability to make decisions.. The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. 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. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? 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. 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. We'll be back next week. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. This is Georgia Today. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. 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. 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: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. [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. 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. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. 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. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Gov. 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. Eric Stirgus: Correct. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Eric Stirgus: And then there's been issues that a lot of Republican lawmakers have been bringing up to in the Georgia Legislature in recent years about campus speech issues that they feel that, you know, students and groups cannot speak freely on college campuses, particularly conservatives. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. He left in June. A longtime Atlanta-based journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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.