He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? Unquote. Find them all here. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. [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. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. 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. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. There, he managed a workforce of 110,000 employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the stated objective of being the most efficient, effective and customer-friendly agency in the . The . Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. So, you know, we've been hearing that this from faculty members who have been upset about, you know, some of his credentials in that space. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. Yes. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. Eric Stirgus: During his time as agriculture secretary there was, you know, there's been some criticism about his record, you know, concerning issues such as climate change. Listen on Apple Podcasts. 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. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Why are we still talking about this, then? You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. [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. 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. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. [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. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system 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. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). He served two terms,. 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 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. [2] He previously served as the 81st governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011; Perdue was the first Republican to hold the office since the Reconstruction era.[3]. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. 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. [68] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[68] 14 grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. 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. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. [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]. 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. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. 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. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. A chancellors job is to defend the system against such bills, said Matthew Boedy, a rhetoric and composition professor at the University of North Georgia and the president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. 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. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". June 23, 2021. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. Is that right? It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? Who hires the chancellor? Eric Stirgus: Yes. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Perdue bids farewell: 'We put American agriculture first' - AgriNews 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. 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. What is that history? [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. He shortly thereafter became a committee chairman, then climbed the leadership ladder to majority leader and to Senate president pro tempore. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. Sonny Perdue plans to stay on amid Trump Cabinet shakeups [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. Sonny Perdue issues state of emergency for 17 Georgia counties", "Perdue fails to disclose '04 purchase of land", "Trump to announce Sonny Perdue for Agriculture", "Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture", "Trump hires campaign workers instead of farmworkers at USDA", "Sonny Perdue is Trump's 'designated survivor' for State of the Union 2018", "Perdue tells second Iowa Ag Summit he wants to support new farmers", "Trump administration to return refined grains to school lunches", Many USDA workers to quit as research agencies move to Kansas City: 'The brain drain we all feared', ERS union predicts mass exodus ahead of relocation, 'Cut, Relocate, Eviscerate': Moving a USDA Research Agency Will Have Lasting Consequences, Employees Say, Economists flee Agriculture Dept. [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? 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. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? All Rights Reserved. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. 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. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. 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. . [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. OPINION: Incoming USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue is not an ally for So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. 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. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. Senator David Perdue by their grandfather George Ervin Perdue I. We've been hearing that Gov. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. 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. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. 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. 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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. Come on board with me. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. He also won reelection in 2000. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. 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. [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. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. 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. But should it go to a politician? 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. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. 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. He oversees 26 public colleges and universities with a $9.8 billion annual budget, 48,000 faculty and staff and more than 340,000 students. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. 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. Perdue is poised within . This is Georgia Today. So that's a little strange, isn't it? Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? 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. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. Eric Stirgus: Correct. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". Raphael Warnock. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. He left in June. 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. 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. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. 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. [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. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. At least he is out of the gate. I give him my full and total endorsement.". I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. [48], During meetings with Georgia state port officials, then-Governor Perdue discussed his family business's use of a terminal, then started a new export company in Savannah soon after leaving office. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. Report: ADM sold plant to Sonny Perdue weeks after being named Trump ag Since joining the Trump administration, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's complicated network of ties to Georgia-based entities including his family's company, Perdue Partners raised questions about potential conflicts of interest as well as his working relationship with his cousin, Georgia Sen. David Perdue. 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 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.. Terms of Service apply. 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. 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. The likely appointment of Mr. Perdue, a Republican, comes during a volatile time in Georgia politics, with the State Legislature considering several bills that would ban, or limit, how race and activism are taught in the classroom. 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. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. Anyone can read what you share.