On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. Why Brian Kemp wants Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia's higher ed system 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. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. So, you know, we've been hearing that this from faculty members who have been upset about, you know, some of his credentials in that space. Sonny Perdue's Ties to His Family Business - American Oversight 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. But last year,. He served two terms,. I mean, you know, there is one former member now, Phillip Lehi, who did, you know, say, Hey, I like Sonny Perdue personally. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. 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: There are 26 institutions in the system. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. Trump Cabinet Member Sonny Perdue Appears To Acknowledge - HuffPost 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. Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. 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. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. 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. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. 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. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. What will Sonny Perdue do if he becomes Georgia system's - ajc 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. Senate Republicans aghast at Perdue's false election claims in - CNN 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. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. 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. Brian Kemp: That's why I'm looking forward to working with the members of the General Assembly this legislative session to protect our students from the divisive ideologies like critical race theory. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. There's been some social media push against him. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education It's us but for your ears. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. That's next. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. 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.. 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. Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings But should it go to a politician? Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. [13], In 1971, Perdue earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, and worked as a veterinarian before becoming a small business owner, eventually starting three small businesses. Since joining the Trump administration, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's complicated network of ties to Georgia-based entities including his family's company, Perdue Partners raised questions about potential conflicts of interest as well as his working relationship with his cousin, Georgia Sen. David Perdue. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Eric Stirgus: Yes. 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. 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. But last year, he disclosed he had become trustee of a newly formed fund that includes many of the same assets as his original family trust. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. I'm Steve Fennessy. Sonny Perdue age, height, net worth 2023, wife, girlfriend, kids 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. 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. 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 . They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. 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. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. The . Atlanta, GA 30318 [News tape] WSB: Gov. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. 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. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. Kemp. David Perdue is running against Democrat Jon Ossoff in one of two runoff elections in the state that will determine control of the U.S. Senate in the next Congress. His name is Sonny Perdue. Personal: Perdue. [34] In a 2014 editorial published by National Review, Perdue criticized attempts by "some on the left or in the mainstream media" to connect climate change to weather events. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. 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. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. 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. I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I'm Steve Fennessy. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. 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. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. 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). 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. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Revoking accreditation to schools including the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State and Georgia Southern would be a monumental step. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. 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. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. 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. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. [63], In August 2020, Perdue supported the president's re-election while promoting the Farmers to Families Food Box Program; Perdue was fined for violating the Hatch Act. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. David Perdue is running for governor in Georgia. Here's what to know The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. Chris Saeger, a spokesperson for Accountable.US, said the reorganization of Perdues assets from one trust to another appears to be nothing more than a shell game and a maze of technicalities and denials.. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. How did we find out about that? 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. 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. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Come on board with me. [44], Upon the end of Perdue's term as governor, many in the Georgia General Assembly condemned the project and Perdue after an advisory council (appointed by Perdue) began to funnel additional bond money to the project located in his home county. Listen on Apple Podcasts. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. Is that right? 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. Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. 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. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now?