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. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. [News tape] WSB: Gov. The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. 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. It is simply unacceptable for people to sneak into this country illegally on Thursday, obtain a government-issued ID on Friday, head for the welfare office on Monday, and cast a vote on Tuesday, he declared, backing up his rancid lies with a crackdown on undocumented people. AGrowStar (including the assets acquired as part of the Estill deal) was sold by Perdue's trusts in 2018 for 12 million dollars, but due to the secretive nature of the trusts, this was not widely disclosed. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. 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. 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. 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.. 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. [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. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. June 23, 2021. 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. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". What is it about this job that appeals to him? 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. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. The secretarys 2019 filing also shows nearly $140,000 in income from Soque River Conservation LLC, which holds land along the Soque River in northern Georgia and is held by a separate trust that Perdue first reported last year. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. 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. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. Employees turn their back on Agriculture secretary over being - CNN So that's a little strange, isn't it? Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. 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. [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. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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: So what happened then? Report: ADM sold plant to Sonny Perdue weeks after being named Trump ag We'll be back next week. 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. He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. 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.. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. This is diversity and inclusion. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Who is David Perdue? 8 things to know about the Georgia senator I'm Steve Fennessy. 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? He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education 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.. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report 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 other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. [7] [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. 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." [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. She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. Why isn't he going back to his farm? Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. 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. 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. 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. [64][65][66], In June 2021, a news story broke of financial dealings Perdue had after his nomination as Secretary of Agriculture but before his confirmation. His name is Sonny Perdue. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. How Trump's Food Box Initiative Overpaid And Underdelivered Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. 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. Sonny Perdue Age: 75 Birthplace: Perry, Georgia Political History: Georgia state senator, 1991-2002; governor, 2003-2011; U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, 2017-2021. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. 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". By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? How Perdue's power benefits his friends - POLITICO What does it mean to be a chancellor? 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. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. He was there at the end. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. 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. (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. 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. He oversees 26 public colleges and universities with a $9.8 billion annual budget, 48,000 faculty and staff and more than 340,000 students. When you go this long without having a permanent chancellor on board, what signal does that send or how does that affect the operations of our schools? They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. Perdue bids farewell: 'We put American agriculture first' - AgriNews 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. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. [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. Sonny Perdue: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO This is Georgia Today. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. Perdues response? [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. [News tape] FOX5: The choice of Perdue has already drawn criticism from student groups and university professors who describe Perdue as a career politician with no experience in higher education. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. 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. Inexpensive, too! 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights.