Subsequently, the trust sold off AGrowStar LLC and Pro Ag Products LLC (none of the other assets posed any conflict of interest with his duties as Secretary of Agriculture). Kemp replaced them with two additional members. 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? [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Not surprisingly, the news has dismayed many, both inside and outside of academic circles, who worry that Sonny Perdue is conservative politics will set the university system on a dangerous course and even put the system's accreditation at risk. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Unquote. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. 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. 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. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. 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. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. 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. He served two terms,. 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. Gov. 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. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." Has he said, "I'm supporting the guy who's pushing my candidacy for chancellor" or "I'm supporting my cousin who's running against him"? Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. Entitled President Trumps Affection for American Farmers, the episode featured the host and former White House press secretary competing to see who could lavish the most praise on Trump. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. 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. 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. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. 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. 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. [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. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who like Grassley is up for reelection in 2022, said he hasn't "paid a lot of attention" to Georgia's governor race, saying "we got our hands full . 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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [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. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . He won the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes 51% to 46%, with Libertarian candidate Garrett Michael Hayes taking 2% of the vote. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. You know, it's kind of a fascinating situation that, you know, your cousin is running for governor and at the same time his political opponent could be putting you in charge of one of the most important positions in state government. Senator David Perdue by their grandfather George Ervin Perdue I. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. [7] [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. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. We'll be back next week. 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. 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. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. 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? Later, FALF Management Trust was created. Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. 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. There's been some social media push against him. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. 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. 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. 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. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. Caught in the middle of a Republican overhaul of education, teachers feel under attack, Senate bill cracks down on local school boards' ability to eject disruptive parents from meetings. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. 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. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. 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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. Conley. At least he is out of the gate. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. 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 design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? He's a two-term former governor, 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. Georgia Today is a production of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said today that he did not plan to step down from his Cabinet duties, amid reports that the president is getting ready to make several . 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. It pays pretty well. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. 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. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. [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. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Kemp. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? That relationship famously has gone has gone south. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. 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. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Former US Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue were named chancellor of the University System of Georgia by the Board of Regents today (USG). Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. [68] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[68] 14 grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children. 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. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. Who hires the chancellor? Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. 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. (Washington, D.C., April 25, 2017) - Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony today at the Supreme Court building. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. 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. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Your support makes this possible. 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. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. Inexpensive, too! You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. 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. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Yes. 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. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. This week, officials on the Board of Regents announced Perdue is the sole finalist for the top job of chancellor. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. 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. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. Sonny Perdue is cousins with David Perdue, who is now engaged in a bitter primary battle against Brian Kemp Brian Kemp, who, of course, is backing Sonny Perdue. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. 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." And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. 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. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? [12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. But Perdue is struggling. Steve Fennessy: Initial discussion about the possible candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor for next chancellor of the University of Georgia System, the president of SACS, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Belle Whelan, sends a letter to the chair of the Board of Regents of Georgia. 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. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . [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. 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. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. 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. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. This is diversity and inclusion. Sonny Perdue's . And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. [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. 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. Economists in the USDA's research branch were told to include disclaimers in their peer-reviewed publications stating that the findings were "preliminary" and "should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy". "The. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. 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. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Correct. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. Is that right? It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. 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. Anyone can read what you share. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. 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. Eric Stirgus: There was some support on the regents, but not enough support to get him across the finish line to be named as chancellor. 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". Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. 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. Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. Eric Stirgus: During his time as agriculture secretary there was, you know, there's been some criticism about his record, you know, concerning issues such as climate change. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. American Oversight and another watchdog group, Accountable.US, claim that violates Perdues 2017 agreement with ethics officials that he would restructure his original family trust and transfer all of its stock in Perdue Business Holdings to a new, irrevocable trust that wouldnt be overseen by or benefit the secretary. The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. He shortly thereafter became a committee chairman, then climbed the leadership ladder to majority leader and to Senate president pro tempore. The latest scrutiny stems from Perdues wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development a complex web of trusts, land parcels, holding companies and subsidiaries. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. I'm Steve Fennessy. 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. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. In 2018, while Perdue was secretary, Soque River Conservation asked the Army Corps to modify the credits held by the company in a way that could boost its value by nearly $3 million, the groups estimate. 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. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. 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. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country.
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