what is sonny perdue doing now
[12], In education, Perdue promoted the return of most decision-making to the local level. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. 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. 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. (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. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Sonny Perdue has long mixed personal and political business to benefit his friends and business associates and he's on track to do it again. We'll be back next week. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. And so now he's no longer on the regents. What is it about this job that appeals to him? You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. And so, you know, they point to things like that and they also point to issues, you know, point to things that, you know, hey, other states have hired elected officials and former politicians to lead colleges or universities. 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. Your support makes this possible. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. Other issues addressed by Perdue include assisting rural communities, helping farmers operate with less regulation, increasing exports, passing the 2018 farm bill, and addressing crop damage caused by dicamba. 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? 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. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. Perdues response? He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. (Washington, D.C., April 22, 2020) - Today, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced emergency benefit increases have reached $2.0 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households across all 50 states and 3 territories to increase food security during the coronavirus national emergency. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. A Senate panel backed a bill on Tuesday that would put pressure on local school boards to adhere to the open meetings laws and create barriers to removing disruptive parents from meetings. 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. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. 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 . 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 . You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. 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.. 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. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Gov. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. 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. 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. 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. But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. 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, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. 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. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Correct. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. 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. 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.. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. But last year,. "[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. 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. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. At least he is out of the gate. 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. 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. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Is that right? 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? According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. 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. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. 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. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. Perdue led Ossoff in the . [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, I think the governor could certainly use this on the campaign trail and, you know, to, you know, David Perdue supporters and say, "Hey, look, you know, I've made Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the university system. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. (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. He was there at the end. 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. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? 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. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. [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. [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: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. You know, I've worked with him, but you know, I just didn't feel like, you know, he was the best person for the job. 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). 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. After the sale, the huge boiler on the property was sold for approximately $500,000, easily covering the cost of the purchase even if the rest of the land had been valueless. 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. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. This is Georgia Today. Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Kemp. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. You know, Steve Wrigley, you know, he worked in the university system before he became chancellor, so he did have some of that experience. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. Eric Stirgus: Good question. 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. [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. 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. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? 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. [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2023 demands. 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. 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. 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. 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. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. 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. Now the nonprofit American Oversight is asking USDAs inspector general to review the new structure of Perdues assets and determine whether it violates the commitments he made as a nominee for the job in 2017. 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. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. I'm Steve Fennessy. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 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. publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, will be the first woman to head the institution, a large-scale, low-cost online Master of Science degree program. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. 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. 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. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. Secretary Perdue complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of ethics officers at USDA when he restructured the Perdue Family Revocable Management Trust into a new family management trust, in which the secretary and his wife had no ownership interest and were not trustees, the spokesperson said in a statement. If a college loses accreditation, warned the agencys president, Belle S. Wheelan, it could cause enrollment declines, lead to bad publicity and revoke the schools access to federal money. Come on board with me. Brian Kemp is not. The business holdings were a source of concern during his confirmation process, as well as during his time as Georgia governor from 2003-11, when he faced more than a dozen ethics complaints and was found to have funneled illegal amounts of money from his businesses to his campaign in 2002. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. 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". 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools.
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