what is sonny perdue doing now

One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. 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. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. 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. Brian Kemp and thought Trump thought his endorsement would spell immediate trouble for the incumbent. Atlanta, GA 30318 [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. He would not be the first governor to move into academia: Former Gov. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. However, most served in the early years of the war and were either forced at gunpoint or feared reprisals for disloyalty. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. Senate Republicans aghast at Perdue's false election claims in - CNN On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. But Perdue is struggling. Terms of Service apply. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. [46] Perdue failed to disclose his ownership of the property in required financial disclosure forms. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. But the threat is part of the latest controversy for the Board of Regents, which in October approved a new policy where universities can fire tenured professors with little to no faculty input. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. 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. Georgia's higher ed system taps acting leader, passing on Sonny Perdue Not satisfied with fighting to take food off the tables of poor families, Perdue also set his sights on farm workers. Across the state, teachers have found themselves caught in a conservative battle to ban divisive topics from classrooms, which Republican lawmakers define as a various list of ideas regarding race. "[35], In 2006, Perdue signed a law that gave Georgia "some of the nation's toughest measures against illegal immigrants. 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.. Perdue is one of the original Trump Cabinet appointees who remained by the president throughout the administration. (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: Correct. 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. [52], During his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue focused on helping new farmers get started in agriculture. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. OPINION: Incoming USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue is not an ally for Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. He served two terms,. Perdue led Ossoff in the . [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. 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. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. Sonny Perdue - New Georgia Encyclopedia Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. Yes. Why is there 19? Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. [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. 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? Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. 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. 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. Steve Fennessy: It's interesting the the letter was addressed to Sachin Shailendra, who at the time was chair of the Board of Regents, but is one of those members who redistricting kind of pushed out so he's no longer on the Board of Regents. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. His name is Sonny Perdue. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. 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. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. 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. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. This is Georgia Today. 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". So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Who is David Perdue? 8 things to know about the Georgia senator And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry 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. 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. Then the pandemic hit, ripping through migrant farm worker communities, who toiled on with little in the way of protective gear or opportunities for social distancing. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. Who hires the chancellor? Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? [32] Perdue disappointed some Georgians by not making the 1956 flag one of the choices on the ballot, despite a campaign promise to do so. I think Steve really was making maybe about a half million dollars when he retired, so that's way more than the governor of Georgia was making. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. It's us but for your ears. But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. 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. 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. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. 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. [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. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is sort of the person who makes sure all the trains run on time, so to speak. How Perdue's power benefits his friends - POLITICO Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. [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. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. [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. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. 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." 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. Perdue and the department have argued that the move will lower living costs, save . Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. 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. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. Conley. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Sonny Perdue's . The . Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. 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. All Rights Reserved. [46] After the state dropped out of the bidding and the land was sold to developers, the value of Perdue's property more than doubled. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do. Perdue has long been Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters, visiting all 50 states to spread the presidents message and spearheading massive taxpayer aid programs that kept farmers afloat through Trumps trade war and the pandemic. What is it about this job that appeals to him? 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Yes, there is a acting chancellor. 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. [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. 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 . The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. Enlivened by these bald lies, and perhaps feeling a competitive spark, Perdue replied that Trump is the embodiment of the amazing spirit that built this country. He sounded quite satisfied after a year spent campaigning for his boss while inflicting lasting damage to poor people and food-system workers during a deadly pandemic that the administration did so very little to control. Report: ADM sold plant to Sonny Perdue weeks after being named Trump ag Perdue wrote that "liberals have lost all credibility when it comes to climate science because their arguments have become so ridiculous and so obviously disconnected from reality. American Oversight is now calling on the inspector general to investigate whether Perdue improperly participated in any such decision, given his ethics pledge to stay out of any matters that might have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the assets in his trusts. Eric Stirgus: Good question. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. And I'm curious about why it's elicited such a ferocious response on the side of those who are for the idea, but also those who are against it. 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. [68] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[68] 14 grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. 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. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. 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. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. He won the 2002 Georgia gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes 51% to 46%, with Libertarian candidate Garrett Michael Hayes taking 2% of the vote. I give him my full and total endorsement.". 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. Perdue bids farewell: 'We put American agriculture first' - AgriNews 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. [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. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. 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. Georgia Today: How Sonny Perdue's ascent to chancellor went from The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. How did we find out about that? And then also there has been, through the congressional redistricting process, you know, because of some changes insome of the districts, you know, we've had two additional changes on the regents where two members are now no longer on the board and the governor has replaced another one of those members and all three of the members that he has replaced are people who have been, you know, very supportive of the governor in the past through campaign contributions and other ways. 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. Kemp can use that to the Republican base and say, "Hey, you know, I have one of the most loyal Trump guys you know, and, you know, if I appointed him to a very important position here in state government and we know we've had a long-standing relationship. At least he is out of the gate. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report 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. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". (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. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. She says a lot of things. Georgia Runoff: Perdue-Ossoff Senate Race Heads To Runoff : NPR - NPR.org [2] He previously served as the 81st governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011; Perdue was the first Republican to hold the office since the Reconstruction era.[3]. [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. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. 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. 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. [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: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. 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.