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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. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. 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. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. Eric Stirgus: Correct. I'm Steve Fennessy. Eric Stirgus: Sonny Perdue, you know, encouraged then-President Trump to endorse Brian Kemp in the Republican primary back in 2018. "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. We'll be back next week. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. 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. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. 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. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. 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. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. She says a lot of things. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Undeterred by the pandemic-led spike in hunger, Perdue also doubled- and tripled-down on a long-held goal: boosting work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would eliminate food aid forat least 1.2 million peopleabout a third of them households containing senior citizens, nearly a quarter with children, and 11 percent with a disabled person, according tononpartisan think tank Mathematica. 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. 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. 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. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, payments on the Go Fish bonds, approved by Perdue and the General Assembly in 2007, runs through December 2027 with most payments $1 million a year in bond money. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. 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. 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. 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? So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. 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. 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. Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. 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. 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. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. [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. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". 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. 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. 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. He shortly thereafter became a committee chairman, then climbed the leadership ladder to majority leader and to Senate president pro tempore. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? June 23, 2021. 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. The secretarys numerous and labyrinthine financial interests in agribusiness and land development makes it essential that his ethical commitments be rigorously enforced so as not to create a conflict of interest, Austin Evers, the groups executive director, wrote last week in a letter to the IGs office. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Perdue led Ossoff in the . [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. 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. 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. This is diversity and inclusion. [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. [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. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[26] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. Citing export losses from Trumps trade war with China, the USDA lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers with $28 billion in 2018 and 2019more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. That's next. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. Economists in the USDA's research branch were told to include disclaimers in their peer-reviewed publications stating that the findings were "preliminary" and "should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy". Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. 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. I understand that the Board of Regents, at least in its previous iteration, was not necessarily too keen on the idea of Sonny Perdue as the next chancellor, is that correct? 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. Perdue restructured his original family trust into a new fund that he did not oversee, and the fund then sold off two of his businesses directly involved in agriculture the only assets that posed potential conflicts, according to a USDA spokesperson. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. But last year,. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. [63], In August 2020, Perdue supported the president's re-election while promoting the Farmers to Families Food Box Program; Perdue was fined for violating the Hatch Act. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. According to the Georgia government's website on Confederate History Month, they also participated in the manufacture of products for the war effort, built naval ships, and provided military assistance and relief efforts"[38] The proclamation was criticized by historians for its historical inaccuracies,[39] although there were, in fact, African-Americans who served the Confederacy. In 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? What does it mean to be a chancellor? One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. 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. This is the golden rule do unto others.". GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. 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, looking at that and he can say that Gov. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. He left in June. [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. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. Raphael Warnock. 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. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. 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. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. 260 14th St. NW In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. Eric Stirgus: Good question. So that's a little strange, isn't it? 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. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. There's been some social media push against him. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Who hires the chancellor? 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. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education 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 . "[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. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Gov. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. 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. But should it go to a politician? The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. After serving as a member of the Houston County Planning & Zoning Commission in the 1980s, Perdue ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly.