On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. 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. 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. But should it go to a politician? Why are we still talking about this, then? So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? The new questions surrounding Perdues 2017 agreement follow his rebuke last week by the Office of Special Counsel for using a taxpayer-funded event to promote President Donald Trumps reelection, in violation of the Hatch Act. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". How did we find out about that? 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. 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 secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Undeterred by the pandemic-led spike in hunger, Perdue also doubled- and tripled-down on a long-held goal: boosting work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would eliminate food aid forat least 1.2 million peopleabout a third of them households containing senior citizens, nearly a quarter with children, and 11 percent with a disabled person, according tononpartisan think tank Mathematica. Anyone can read what you share. 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. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. Eric Stirgus: Last March, we started hearing talk you know that Perdue was interested in the job or that some board members on the Board of Regents were interested in him becoming chancellor. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. RELATED: Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. Perdue is poised within . Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? What does it mean to be a chancellor? This week, officials on the Board of Regents announced Perdue is the sole finalist for the top job of chancellor. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "The. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. 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. 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. At least he is out of the gate. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. 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. [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. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Your support makes this possible. He left in June. [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. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. 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. 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. 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. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. 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. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. So that's a little strange, isn't it? 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. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. 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. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. June 23, 2021. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. 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. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. 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. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Jess Mador is our producer. 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. 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. 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 . And so now he's no longer on the regents. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. 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. Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. 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. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. 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. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. Terms of Service apply. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. Atlanta, GA 30318 Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. 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. Perdue led Ossoff in the . Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . 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). 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. 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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." 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. I give him my full and total endorsement.". But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be . Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. Kemp. (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. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. 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? [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Steve Fennessy: So that's not something you can just push aside because you don't like what one of their family members is doing. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. "[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. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. 260 14th St. NW His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Some farmers ended up destroying perfectly good food. 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. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. 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? 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 shortly thereafter became a committee chairman, then climbed the leadership ladder to majority leader and to Senate president pro tempore. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. 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. 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. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. 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. A department spokesperson claims the 2017 agreement had to refer to the holding company at large, rather than those two firms in particular, because it was the legal entity that owned the businesses. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. 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. city of laredo code of ordinances, marquette school of dentistry apparel,
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