She says a lot of things. 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. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. It pays pretty well. "[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. Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do. 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? Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. But her critics have said thatwhat she calls a COVID Crime Wave and her handling of the firing of Atlanta police officer Garrett Rolfe, who shot Rayshard Brooks last summer, made her vulnerable if she had chosen to run. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. 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. This is diversity and inclusion. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. 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. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Sonny Perdue's . 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. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." [News tape] FOX5: The choice of Perdue has already drawn criticism from student groups and university professors who describe Perdue as a career politician with no experience in higher education. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? While Perdue puffed up the generosity of his boss, the USDA was busy botching the food-relief effort, awarding fat contracts to distributors ill-equipped to handle them, with the result that some parts of the country got a lot of food, while others got very little, NPR reported. [72], In 2006, Perdue's financial disclosure forms revealed that he had a net worth of approximately $6 million and received compensation of $700,000 that year.[73]. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. 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? 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. Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. 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. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. 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. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. 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. 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. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Republican Sen. David Perdue, a former Fortune 500 CEO, will face off against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old media executive, again in a runoff election Jan. 5. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. Anyone can read what you share. [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. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. [News tape] 11Alive: Critical race theory about whites, blacks and U.S. history, parents saying that CRT is now indoctrinating students disguised in the school system's initiatives on diversity, equity and inclusion. 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: Correct. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. [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. Steve Fennessy: It's interesting the the letter was addressed to Sachin Shailendra, who at the time was chair of the Board of Regents, but is one of those members who redistricting kind of pushed out so he's no longer on the Board of Regents. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . How did we find out about that? He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. 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. 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. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? 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. The . Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. There may be that short list that some of these members of the Board of Regents have, but they're not allowed to discuss it publicly. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. The FALF Management Trust had no conflicting assets with his duties as Secretary of Agriculture, and therefore the Secretary could become a trustee of the trust. What's the implication there? Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. 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. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. We've been hearing that Gov. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. Raphael Warnock. [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. 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". He served two terms,. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. It's a little off the beaten path. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". The Washington Post detailed several wish-list items that ADM achieved: loosening of regulations on pork production, fewer inspections, helping lobby against proposed government bans on glyphosate by Thailand and Vietnam, and promoting ethanol and biodiesel. 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: There have been some faculty members who have, you know, written letters to the University System of Georgia, you know, stating their opposition. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. I give him my full and total endorsement.". His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [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. Terms of Service apply. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. Who hires the chancellor? 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. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. 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. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. All Rights Reserved. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. 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. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. 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. This week, officials on the Board of Regents announced Perdue is the sole finalist for the top job of chancellor. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. 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. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? [46] After the state dropped out of the bidding and the land was sold to developers, the value of Perdue's property more than doubled. 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. 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. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. Higher education is where I wanted to have a real impact as governor, only to be stymied by twin recessions, he said in the board-issued statement. Eric Stirgus: Good question. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. 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. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. In this 2017 post, I recount some of the port-related shenanigans the cousins Perdue got up to together, including launching a port-reliant export business. 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. However, Perdue was faced with a Democratic House that would not allow the 1956 flag to be included in the referendum, due to its Confederate origins, and he needed support for a tobacco tax he wanted to pass to raise revenue. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. USDAs unprecedented farm subsidies have also fueled criticism that taxpayer dollars are being used to keep farmers and ranchers in Trumps corner ahead of the election especially as the president repeatedly touts the money at campaign rallies as his own personal gift to agriculture. While it is often especially difficult for members of a governing board who are appointed by the governor or legislative body to remain independent in their work, it is imperative that they do or they place the accreditation of the institution they govern in jeopardy." The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. That's next. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Come on board with me. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. 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. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. Steve Fennessy: But in the state of Georgia, I would think that, at least of jobs that are sort of in the employ of the state of Georgia, there are few that are more prominent or important than chancellor. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. 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. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. 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.. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? June 23, 2021. All Rights Reserved. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. RELATED: Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. 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. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. Unquote. 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. 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? 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 Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. 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. 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. The harangue, which ended with the ag secretary leading a chant of four more years, earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act, which forbids government employees from campaigning while on the job. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. 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. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. 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. 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. Why is there 19? 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