[News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. 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 was there at the end. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue nominated as USDA Secretary Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. 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. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. 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. 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. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. Sonny Perdue age, height, net worth 2023, wife, girlfriend, kids "[36], On November 13, 2007, while Georgia suffered from one of the worst droughts in several decades, Perdue led a group of several hundred people in prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. 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. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education I'm Steve Fennessy. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Launched in October 2019, a week after the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry against Trump, the show began with an appearance from Sarah Huckabee Sanders. What does it mean to be a chancellor? Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. 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. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. Listen on Apple Podcasts. 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." Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? 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. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. But should it go to a politician? Governor Perdue stood out for his impressive experience and leadership in public service as well as a vast understanding not only of Georgia and its communities but of the issues facing the university system as we move forward, Harold Reynolds, the chair of the Board of Regents, said in a statement on Monday. Sanders: one of the the most fun, engaging, charming, and charismatic people Ive ever been around. Perdue: he has an amazing instinctive ability to make decisions.. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. 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. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system 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. June 23, 2021. Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. 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. Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture "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. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? The regents hired another firm, and then it put Ms. McCartney as acting chancellor, and so there really hasn't been much movement up until, I guess, the last few weeks. A department spokesperson claims the 2017 agreement had to refer to the holding company at large, rather than those two firms in particular, because it was the legal entity that owned the businesses. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. 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.. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. 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. 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. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. [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. [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. 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. Sonny Perdue - Wikipedia Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. 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? "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. 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. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. 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. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). Chancellor | University System of Georgia - USG 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. Founder and partner in an agricultural trading company,[4] Perdue served from 2012 to 2017 on the Governors' Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.[3][5] He is the second secretary of agriculture from the Deep South; the first was Mike Espy of Mississippi, who served under President Bill Clinton from January 1993 to December 1994. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. 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. As governor from 2003 until 2011, he celebrated the states legacy of chattel slaverysigning 2009 legislation making April Confederate History and Heritage Month, honoring the more than 90,000 brave men and women who served the Confederate States of America. He was an early adopter of race-motivated voter suppression, signing into law one of the nations first strict ID laws. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. 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? [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. This is diversity and inclusion. . Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. That's next. 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. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. 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. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. 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. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. Inexpensive, too! He stated that legitimate, measurable carbon trading could spur so-called carbon sequestration by giving farmers an incentive to innovate. 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. So that's a little strange, isn't it? George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III[1] (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. Eric Stirgus: Correct. 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. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. 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. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. 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. [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. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. Thanks for listening. [50], In September 2017, Politico reported that, according to 42 reviewed resumes, the department hired 22 former Trump campaign workers, many of which had no significant agricultural knowledge or experience with federal policies. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. You know, he provided the money for the budget for the university system, and he understands how the system, you know, to a certain degree, you know, how the system works. A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue's company for $250,000", "Agriculture secretary pick Perdue led big political change in Georgia", "Official: Perdue flew copter without license", "Governor Perdue Makes Acting Debut in "We Are Marshall", Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Perdue&oldid=1142223043, Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Republican Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Presidents pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, Republican Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state), Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:05. There's been some social media push against him. 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? Sonny Perdue plans to stay on amid Trump Cabinet shakeups 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. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, North American Vexillological Association, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, List of American politicians who switched parties in office, "Former Georgia governor tapped as Trump's agriculture secretary, sources say", "Company Overview of Perdue Partners, LLC", "BPC Congratulates Sec. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. 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. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgia's Public Universities Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary [News tape] 11Alive: This is where angry parents are accusing the school board of trying to indoctrinate students with controversial curriculum on race and American history. "[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. I give him my full and total endorsement.". But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. Personal: Perdue. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. [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, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? This is Georgia Today. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country.

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