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. 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, you know, it'll be interesting to see. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. 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. [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. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. It's us but for your ears. 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"? 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. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. 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. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. 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. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. 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: 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. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 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. 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." 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. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. 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. Inexpensive, too! Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. (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. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). 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. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. 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. And so now he's no longer on the regents. The crux of the watchdog complaint comes down to a handful of Perdues businesses the secretary reported as sources of income, at least a half-million dollars, on his 2019 filing. 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. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. [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. 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. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. The . Anyone can read what you share. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. 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. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. AGrowStar (including the assets acquired as part of the Estill deal) was sold by Perdue's trusts in 2018 for 12 million dollars, but due to the secretive nature of the trusts, this was not widely disclosed. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. [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. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? 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. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [67], Regardless of whether the deal was intended to influence Perdue's actions, and if it was if it actually had any impact, the Perdue years were good ones for ADM. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. But Perdue is struggling. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. What is it about this job that appeals to him? [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. [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. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. Kemp. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. A former two-term governor of Georgia, George Ervin Perdue III, known throughout his life as Sonny, served as Agriculture Secretary from 2017 to 2021. He praised the tax cuts and the program of deregulation, which, he claimed, benefitted the people who needed it most, those in the middle, and the lower rungs. Its little wonder that Trump would train his benevolence on the little people, because hes a blue-collar guy who worked for years in the construction yards, with all kinds of folks, all colors, Kudlow informed Perdues listeners. There's been some social media push against him. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. "The. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. 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. Revoking accreditation to schools including the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State and Georgia Southern would be a monumental step. 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. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. 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. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. [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 Perdue USDA also insisted that federally funded grocery boxes distributed by food banks contain a letter signed by Trump, touting the administrations coronavirus response. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. 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. Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. 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. Thanks for listening. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. Gov. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. 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. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. 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. 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. 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. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? At least he is out of the gate. 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. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . He was there at the end. 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." 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. 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. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The complex arrangements were criticized as breaking the spirit of the rule, however, and that Perdue and his family's ties to his corporation were not distanced as much as the law intended. 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. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. [72], In 2006, Perdue's financial disclosure forms revealed that he had a net worth of approximately $6 million and received compensation of $700,000 that year.[73]. It pays pretty well. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. Atlanta, GA 30318 The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. Find them all here. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education Personal: 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. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. 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. 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. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. 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. And so, you know, they point to things like that and they also point to issues, you know, point to things that, you know, hey, other states have hired elected officials and former politicians to lead colleges or universities. 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. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. 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. Come on board with me. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. 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? Steve Fennessy: How Gov. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Higher education is where I wanted to have a real impact as governor, only to be stymied by twin recessions, he said in the board-issued statement. 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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. [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. Brian Kemp is not. Eric Stirgus: I think you would have many people who would say that it is a political decision or that the board members themselves have, you know, some say depending on their own personal politics. 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 . So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. 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. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. Faster kill lines boost packer profits even as they put already pandemic-stressed workers under greater strain, while also making proper social distancing even more difficult. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). 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. 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. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. 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. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. Steve Fennessy: Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor and president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times that, quote, "a chancellor's job is to defend the system against such bills. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. 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. 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. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. 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. 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. 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.