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. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. 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? And I'm curious about why it's elicited such a ferocious response on the side of those who are for the idea, but also those who are against it. Anyone can read what you share. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. 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. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. [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. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. What is it about this job that appeals to him? The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. DECATUR The Washington Post on Tuesday published a story that Archer Daniels Midland Co. sold a grain storage plant valued at millions of dollars to Sonny Perdue for $250,000 weeks after he . Personal: Perdue. 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. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. 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. 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 . Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. Come on board with me. 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. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. Is that right? Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. It's us but for your ears. @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. Steve Fennessy: Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor and president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times that, quote, "a chancellor's job is to defend the system against such bills. 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. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". What's the implication there? Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. His name is Sonny Perdue. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. 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: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. [11], Perdue played quarterback at Warner Robins High School and was a walk-on at the University of Georgia,[12] where he was also a member of the Beta-Lambda chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity. 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. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. This is Georgia Today. I'm Steve Fennessy. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. 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. 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. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. [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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. [32] Perdue disappointed some Georgians by not making the 1956 flag one of the choices on the ballot, despite a campaign promise to do so. A longtime Atlanta-based journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue Some would say the most important job is, you know, making sure that money that comes from the state is sent to the schools and is being spent properly. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. Mr. Perdue, a graduate of the University of Georgia, said he considered the opportunity to lead the university system, which has more than 340,000 students, as the capstone to a career of public service. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. 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. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. It's a little off the beaten path. 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. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. 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. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. [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. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. 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. [55], In July 2019, Perdue ordered two USDA agenciesthe Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agricultureto move from the USDA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City metropolitan area. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. She says a lot of things. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Listen on Apple Podcasts. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. He served two terms,. And then a couple of months later, my colleague Greg Bluestein ran into him at an event and Sonny did say that he was interested in the position, if the regents would have him. [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. after feeling punished under Trump", 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie', The Trump administration is suppressing climate science, "US agriculture secretary breaks ranks to endorse carbon pricing", "USDA chief violated Hatch Act by advocating for Trump re-election, gov't watchdog says", "USDA's Perdue fined for violating Hatch Act while promoting food boxes", "Perdue rebuked for violating ethics law by boosting Trump's reelection", "The land was worth millions. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is sort of the person who makes sure all the trains run on time, so to speak. (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. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was a plum post for the political novice, which he used as a springboard that helped propel him to a US Senate seat in 2014. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. 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: Most of them are designated by congressional district. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. 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. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. There are probably about 48,000 employees in the university system, and they range from professors, assistant professors, you know, associate professors, guest lecturers, you know, everything from electricians to people who work in the cafeterias. [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. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. 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. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. 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. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. 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. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. [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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. You know, Steve Wrigley, you know, he worked in the university system before he became chancellor, so he did have some of that experience. Eric Stirgus: Correct. This is Georgia Today. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. 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? Why are we still talking about this, then? So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Each of those firms is owned by Perdue Business Holdings Inc., and Secretary Perdues newly created FALF Management Trust of which the secretary is a co-trustee owns 100 percent of the voting stock in Perdue Business Holdings, according to his 2019 disclosure. [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.