United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . [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. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. Ethics authorities have already issued warnings to a dozen Trump administration officials for violating the Hatch Act, but Perdues straightforward appeal to reelect Trump was seen as especially flagrant. Sonny Perdue's Ties to His Family Business - American Oversight We've been hearing that Gov. His anti-immigrant machinations worked all too well, creating a crippling labor shortage for Georgias immigrant-dependent farms and poultry slaughterhouses. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years. 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. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . [News tape] WSB: Gov. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . [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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Why isn't he going back to his farm? Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and [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. 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. 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. What does it mean to be a chancellor? Sonny Perdue: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. 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. In April, before the Board of Regents selected Mr. Perdue, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges sent it a warning letter stating that the appointment of a former governor could place the accreditation of the institution(s) they govern in jeopardy.. 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. 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. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. 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. You know, he provided the money for the budget for the university system, and he understands how the system, you know, to a certain degree, you know, how the system works. 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. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [60] In August 2019, Lewis Ziska, a USDA plant physiology climate scientist, quit after department administrators attempted to impede the publication of one of his studies in the journal Science Advances. 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. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Georgia Runoff: Perdue-Ossoff Senate Race Heads To Runoff : NPR - NPR.org Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. [24], On January 18, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be United States secretary of agriculture. [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Perdue addressed the crowd, saying "We've come together here simply for one reason and one reason only: to very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm" and "God, we need you; we need rain." Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. 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. 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. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. The association has publicly condemned how the university system selected Mr. Perdue, a process that largely occurred in meetings without faculty input and closed to the public. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. 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. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. What is that history? Perdues response? 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. Who is David Perdue? 8 things to know about the Georgia senator Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. (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. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." Eric Stirgus: Yeah it's an important issue because, you know, colleges and universities that do not have accreditation, they can their students cannot get federal financial aid that helps pay for tuition for a lot of college students. [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. 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. 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? 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. Senator David Perdue by their grandfather George Ervin Perdue I. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. [News tape] Alex Ames, student activist, FOX5: And as governor, he chose to defund billions of dollars and begin, you know, a decades-long spree of defunding from our teachers and, you know, students and parent schools that we attend every day. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. RELATED: Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." 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. 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. 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. 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". This is the golden rule do unto others.". Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? 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? 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. A chancellors job is to defend the system against such bills, said Matthew Boedy, a rhetoric and composition professor at the University of North Georgia and the president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. I give him my full and total endorsement.". "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. Who hires the chancellor? Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Eric Stirgus: Good question. 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. Some would say the most important job is, you know, making sure that money that comes from the state is sent to the schools and is being spent properly. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. [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. 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] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. Inexpensive, too! But last year,. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. [57] Current and former employees of the ERS were strongly critical of the relocation to Kansas City, saying the resulting exodus of scientific and economic talent caused disruption to federal research, especially on climate change and food security. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Sonny Perdue plans to stay on amid Trump Cabinet shakeups Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. [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. [1][10] He grew up and still lives in Bonaire, an unincorporated area between Perry and Warner Robins. 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". There's been some social media push against him. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Eric Stirgus: Correct. 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. Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him.
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