[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. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. This week, officials on the Board of Regents announced Perdue is the sole finalist for the top job of chancellor. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. American Oversight is now calling on the inspector general to investigate whether Perdue improperly participated in any such decision, given his ethics pledge to stay out of any matters that might have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the assets in his trusts. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. 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. 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. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. 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. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. The . Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. 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. 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. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. At least he is out of the gate. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. "[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. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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". 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. 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.. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. 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. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. 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. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. How is that number arrived at? Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. [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. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? USDA said the reorganization of Perdues finances was cleared by career ethics staff, pointing to the secretarys 2019 financial disclosure that was signed by ethics officials. She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. Anyone can read what you share. Eric Stirgus: Correct. (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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. She says a lot of things. And besides the national prominence afforded any state governor, Perdue garnered widespread attention for his actions in 2007 during the worst drought in Georgia's history. Steve Fennessy: When you look at past chancellors in the university system of Georgia, is that a position where the person who gets the job is typically coming from a higher educational background? [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. 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? 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. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. 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. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. 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. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. 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. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. But last year,. He won the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes 51% to 46%, with Libertarian candidate Garrett Michael Hayes taking 2% of the vote. 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. 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: Yes. [46] Perdue failed to disclose his ownership of the property in required financial disclosure forms. There's been some social media push against him. 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. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. "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. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. 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. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. It's us but for your ears. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. 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. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. Sonny Perdue won the 2002 Georgia governor's race, defeating the incumbent, Democrat Roy Barnes, to become the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. [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. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and He was there at the end. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". 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. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. (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. 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. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. 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. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. It pays pretty well. [46] After the state dropped out of the bidding and the land was sold to developers, the value of Perdue's property more than doubled. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. He served two terms,. 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. @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. 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. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. 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. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. 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. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. 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. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? 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. Come on board with me. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". 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. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. 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. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. Republican Sen. David Perdue, a former Fortune 500 CEO, will face off against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old media executive, again in a runoff election Jan. 5. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . But last year, he disclosed he had become trustee of a newly formed fund that includes many of the same assets as his original family trust. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. 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. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. 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. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. I'm Steve Fennessy. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. But should it go to a politician? His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. 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. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Gov. Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. [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. [News tape] WSB: Gov. In July, as the general election heated up, the department tapped a Depression-era funding mechanism called the Commodity Credit Corporation to come up with $14 billionwithout having to consult Congressto hand to producers of commodities like corn, soybeans and wheat, ostensibly for losses due to the coronavirus. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. . June 23, 2021. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. 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. What's the implication there? So that's a little strange, isn't it? [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. 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. 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. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. 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. Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. 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. Conley. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. 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. Personal: Perdue. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. Raphael Warnock. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. 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. Revoking accreditation to schools including the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State and Georgia Southern would be a monumental step. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. We'll be back next week. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. [57] Current and former employees of the ERS were strongly critical of the relocation to Kansas City, saying the resulting exodus of scientific and economic talent caused disruption to federal research, especially on climate change and food security. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. [71], In 2006, while still governor, Perdue made a cameo appearance as the coach of the East Carolina Pirates football team in the movie We Are Marshall, large portions of which were filmed in Georgia.