But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. In April, before the Board of Regents selected Mr. Perdue, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges sent it a warning letter stating that the appointment of a former governor could place the accreditation of the institution(s) they govern in jeopardy.. 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: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. 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. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. Conley. 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. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. 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. Perdues response? 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. [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. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. How did we find out about that? 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. 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. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. Why isn't he going back to his farm? Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Eric Stirgus: Good question. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. Kemp continues to be grateful for that support, and he feels some, you know, some loyalty, from what we've been hearing from our sources towards Sonny Perdue. [News tape] CNN: The former president recruited the former Sen. David Perdue to mount a primary challenge to Gov. Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. He was there at the end. [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. 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. Kemp. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. You know, there were some complaints that, you know, he was involved in some changes that, you know, made it a little bit more difficult for students to get the HOPE scholarship. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". 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. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. 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. . 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. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Along with the recent Hatch Act violation, Perdue is facing blowback from Democrats and food banks for requiring all contractors under a $4 billion coronavirus relief program to stuff promotional letters signed by Trump into millions of food boxes delivered to hungry families. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. In the podcasts final episode before the election, released Oct. 29, Perdue hosted another MAGA loyalist, the high-living former Wall Street man and TV personality Larry Kudlow, the non-economist who Trump improbably chose to lead the National Economic Council. 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? Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . 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. 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. 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.. Sonny Perdue's . That relationship famously has gone has gone south. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. 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: Correct. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. His name is Sonny Perdue. If a college loses accreditation, warned the agencys president, Belle S. Wheelan, it could cause enrollment declines, lead to bad publicity and revoke the schools access to federal money. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. 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. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. Steve Fennessy: So that's not something you can just push aside because you don't like what one of their family members is doing. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. 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. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. 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." Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. The USDA's press office rejected CNN's request to interview Ziska, but not Politico's, where he went on to describe the department as internally fearful of Perdue's open skepticism towards climate change, which, according to Ziska, has led officials to "go to extremes to obscure their work to avoid political blowback". There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. 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". Jess Mador is our producer. 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. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. Unquote. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. We'll be back next week. 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. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. 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. 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. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. Eric Stirgus: Yes. "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Gov. [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. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. 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? Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. 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. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. As expected, the board named former governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as its sole finalist to head the University System of Georgia. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. 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. I give him my full and total endorsement.". As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Terms of Service apply. Raphael Warnock. 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. 260 14th St. NW Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. [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. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. 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. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Why is there 19? Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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. 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? This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. 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. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. The COVID-19 crisis served as yet another opportunity to promote the political fortunes of his boss, without impeding his pursuit of a pro-agribusiness, anti-worker agenda. 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. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. When you go this long without having a permanent chancellor on board, what signal does that send or how does that affect the operations of our schools? 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. On March 1, 2022, the Board of Regents of University System of Georgia appointed Perdue as the system's 14th chancellor, effective April 1, 2022.
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