[News tape] 11Alive: This is where angry parents are accusing the school board of trying to indoctrinate students with controversial curriculum on race and American history. Come on board with me. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. 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. This is the golden rule do unto others.". David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He also won reelection in 2000. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. 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. In April, before the Board of Regents selected Mr. Perdue, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges sent it a warning letter stating that the appointment of a former governor could place the accreditation of the institution(s) they govern in jeopardy.. 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. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. [30], In 2001, Democratic governor Roy Barnes replaced the 1956 state flag, which incorporated the battle flag of the Confederacy, and which had been adopted by Georgia largely as a protest against desegregation. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. [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. 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"? Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. But is there a way of, like, by appointing by at least advancing the candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor is this a way for Brian Kemp to gain some political points with some Trump voters out there? 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 . Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . Eric Stirgus: Correct. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Yes. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. 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. [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. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. What is that history? Is that right? [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. 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. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. That's next. Steve Fennessy: But in the state of Georgia, I would think that, at least of jobs that are sort of in the employ of the state of Georgia, there are few that are more prominent or important than chancellor. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. How is that number arrived at? Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. 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? And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. [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. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. It's us but for your ears. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. Born George Ervin Perdue III, Perdue has been known as Sonny since childhood, and prefers to be called by that name; he was sworn in and signs official documents as "Sonny Perdue". Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. 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). Perdue has long been Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters, visiting all 50 states to spread the presidents message and spearheading massive taxpayer aid programs that kept farmers afloat through Trumps trade war and the pandemic. Eric Stirgus: There was some support on the regents, but not enough support to get him across the finish line to be named as chancellor. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. 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. 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 . Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. 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. 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.. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. So that's a little strange, isn't it? On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. Find them all here. His name is Sonny Perdue. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. 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. 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. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Sonny Perdue's . Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. 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 Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . It's called critical race theory, but other parents and some students said that's not what's going on in the classrooms at all. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. "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. 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. 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. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. 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. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. 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. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. [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. 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. He continued his effort to cut their wages, ultimately teaming with the Department of Labor on a rule change that will result in an aggregate wage cut worth at least $170.68 million annually over the next ten yearsa transfer of money from low-wage workers to relatively wealthy farm owners. 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. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. I'm Steve Fennessy. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. Kemp. Steve Fennessy: When did we first hear that Sonny Perdue who was the outgoing Secretary of Agriculture in the Trump administration, of course a two-term former governor of Georgia was interested in the job of chancellor? The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. But should it go to a politician? 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. 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. "The. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. . 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." She says a lot of things. Mr. Perdues appointment as chancellor would also limit his contributions to the campaign of David Perdue, his cousin and a former senator who is running against Gov. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, North American Vexillological Association, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, List of American politicians who switched parties in office, "Former Georgia governor tapped as Trump's agriculture secretary, sources say", "Company Overview of Perdue Partners, LLC", "BPC Congratulates Sec. He spent his 2020 like he spent the other years of his Washington stint: flattering his boss at every opportunity, and lavishing largesse on political allies while undercutting poor people and food-system workers. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. Steve Fennessy: This has been percolating for a while now, Eric: this this idea of Sonny Perdue as the next chancellor of the University of Georgia system. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. "[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. 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. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. It's a little off the beaten path. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Launched in October 2019, a week after the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry against Trump, the show began with an appearance from Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? 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. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. 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. 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. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. 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. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. [News tape] FOX5: The choice of Perdue has already drawn criticism from student groups and university professors who describe Perdue as a career politician with no experience in higher education. Brian Kemp is not. Critics argued that the deal should be investigated, and speculated that ADM, which spends millions of dollars on lobbying regardless, used the property sale as a bribe for favorable treatment. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? What's the implication there? And so now he's no longer on the regents. 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. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Thanks for listening. Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. 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. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? 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. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. It is simply unacceptable for people to sneak into this country illegally on Thursday, obtain a government-issued ID on Friday, head for the welfare office on Monday, and cast a vote on Tuesday, he declared, backing up his rancid lies with a crackdown on undocumented people. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. Eric Stirgus: Last March, we started hearing talk you know that Perdue was interested in the job or that some board members on the Board of Regents were interested in him becoming chancellor. Eric Stirgus: Sonny Perdue, you know, encouraged then-President Trump to endorse Brian Kemp in the Republican primary back in 2018. 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. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. 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. Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. 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. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. [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. 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? Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. 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. 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. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov.

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