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Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. I give him my full and total endorsement.". 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. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. The latest scrutiny stems from Perdues wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development a complex web of trusts, land parcels, holding companies and subsidiaries. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. [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. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". [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. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. 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. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. Steve Fennessy: This has been percolating for a while now, Eric: this this idea of Sonny Perdue as the next chancellor of the University of Georgia system. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of 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. 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". 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. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. 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. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. 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. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. 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. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. 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. Steve Fennessy: News that Sonny Perdue will, in all likelihood be the university system of Georgia's next chancellor comes at a time when state legislators are debating bills about how racial history should be taught in classrooms. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. 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. [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. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. 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? He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. 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. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. [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. 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. 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. 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. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? In 2018, while Perdue was secretary, Soque River Conservation asked the Army Corps to modify the credits held by the company in a way that could boost its value by nearly $3 million, the groups estimate. His name is Sonny Perdue. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. 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. 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. 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. So that's a little strange, isn't it? Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. 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. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said today that he did not plan to step down from his Cabinet duties, amid reports that the president is getting ready to make several . Enlivened by these bald lies, and perhaps feeling a competitive spark, Perdue replied that Trump is the embodiment of the amazing spirit that built this country. He sounded quite satisfied after a year spent campaigning for his boss while inflicting lasting damage to poor people and food-system workers during a deadly pandemic that the administration did so very little to control. 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. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. They range from Georgia State University, which has the most students in the system, like about 53,000 students; Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State both of those schools have about 40,000 students each and then University of Georgia. We've been hearing that Gov. 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. [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. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who like Grassley is up for reelection in 2022, said he hasn't "paid a lot of attention" to Georgia's governor race, saying "we got our hands full . Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. [46] Perdue failed to disclose his ownership of the property in required financial disclosure forms. The . [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. 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. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. [12] A 2005 tax bill passed by the Georgia Legislature allowed residents to gain a tax break if they sold a property in Georgia to buy similar property in another state, and made the change retroactive to 2004. It pays pretty well. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. (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. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a regional agency to threaten the accreditation of the 26-school system. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. 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. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Find them all here. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Perdue claimed a combined $511,800 in income from Perdue Inc., a trucking company; Houston Fertilizer & Grain Co., which manages commercial real estate in Bonaire, Ga.; and StarPort Logistics LLC. June 23, 2021. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. Perdues response? 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes. 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. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. What's the implication there? We'll be back next week. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. 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? [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. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. That's next. 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? | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. Yes. earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel, publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages, lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers, more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout, join us with a tax-deductible donation today. Eric Stirgus: Good question. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. Inexpensive, too! Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. Secretary Perdue did nothing wrong when he complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of career ethics officers at USDA (at considerable personal expense) to restructure his trusts..