what is sonny perdue doing now

Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. . That's next. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. 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? Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. [24] The State Ethics Commission ruled against Perdue twice, finding that he had taken improper campaign contributions from donors including SunTrust Banks and that he had improperly used one of his family business's airplanes on the campaign, for which the commission fined the sitting governor. Perdues response? Launched in October 2019, a week after the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry against Trump, the show began with an appearance from Sarah Huckabee Sanders. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and We've been hearing that Gov. 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. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. 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. "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be . DECATUR The Washington Post on Tuesday published a story that Archer Daniels Midland Co. sold a grain storage plant valued at millions of dollars to Sonny Perdue for $250,000 weeks after he . [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. "[36], On November 13, 2007, while Georgia suffered from one of the worst droughts in several decades, Perdue led a group of several hundred people in prayer on the steps of the state Capitol. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. It pays pretty well. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. 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. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. 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. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. Eric Stirgus: There was some support on the regents, but not enough support to get him across the finish line to be named as chancellor. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. We'll be back next week. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education [70], Perdue is an avid sportsman. Eric Stirgus: Yes. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. 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. 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. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. 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. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. 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. Watchdog organizations are now calling for the Agriculture Departments inspector general to investigate whether Perdue has run afoul of the ethics agreement he signed as a nominee for the job early in the Trump administration. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 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. How is that number arrived at? What does it mean to be a chancellor? Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. 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. (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. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. But last year,. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Unquote. He left in June. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. 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". 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. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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]. Mr. Kemp had received Mr. Trumps endorsement in 2018, but their relationship deteriorated following the Kemp administrations refusal to undermine Georgias presidential election results in 2020. 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. 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." [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, was confirmed April 24, 2017, and he will have a wide reach in his role. [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. 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. Thanks for listening. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. 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. Is that right? 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. Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who like Grassley is up for reelection in 2022, said he hasn't "paid a lot of attention" to Georgia's governor race, saying "we got our hands full . Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. 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. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. 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. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. Yes. It's a little off the beaten path. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. 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. 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. [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. Then there were the full-on MAGA-bots like Sonny Perdue, the Georgia politician and agribusiness entrepreneur who became agriculture secretary. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. 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. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. What's the implication there? Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. In research shared with POLITICO, Accountable.US alleges that farm policies backed by the secretary could potentially have benefited his own or his familys interests beyond the two agribusinesses that were sold. Personal: Perdue. 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. 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. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. 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. 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? [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". He served two terms,. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. Therefore the new trust Perdue listed on his 2019 financial disclosure, identifying himself as a co-trustee, poses no conflict of interest or violation of his ethics commitments, the spokesperson said. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. Inexpensive, too! Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. 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. There's been a lot of different issues that colleges are facing regarding social issues and political issues. [News tape] WSB: Gov. The . The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. "To me it was a boondoggle because of the amount of money they were spending and the location," said Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. 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. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. [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. 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 served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. [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. At least he is out of the gate. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. 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. Citing export losses from Trumps trade war with China, the USDA lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers with $28 billion in 2018 and 2019more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. An investigationby the Food and Environment Reporting Networks Leah Douglas found that at least 40 percent of chicken plants operating at the higher speeds experienced COVID outbreaks, versus 14 percent for the overall meat sector. 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. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. And so, you know, they point to things like that and they also point to issues, you know, point to things that, you know, hey, other states have hired elected officials and former politicians to lead colleges or universities. Now the nonprofit American Oversight is asking USDAs inspector general to review the new structure of Perdues assets and determine whether it violates the commitments he made as a nominee for the job in 2017. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. They range from Georgia State University, which has the most students in the system, like about 53,000 students; Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State both of those schools have about 40,000 students each and then University of Georgia. He's a two-term former governor, Secretary of Agriculture. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Once again, left-leaning organizations like American Oversight will do anything they can to stop this administration from helping the American people, the spokesperson said. 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. This week, officials on the Board of Regents announced Perdue is the sole finalist for the top job of chancellor. However, Perdue was faced with a Democratic House that would not allow the 1956 flag to be included in the referendum, due to its Confederate origins, and he needed support for a tobacco tax he wanted to pass to raise revenue. RELATED: Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. So those are some of the things that have concerned a lot of state leaders or particularly on the Republican side. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. 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. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. 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. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, North American Vexillological Association, United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, List of American politicians who switched parties in office, "Former Georgia governor tapped as Trump's agriculture secretary, sources say", "Company Overview of Perdue Partners, LLC", "BPC Congratulates Sec. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? [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. 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). 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. 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. The commitments entailed moving his holdings into a new trust and agreeing not to serve as a trustee or beneficiary of the fund. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. This is diversity and inclusion. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. You know, it's kind of a fascinating situation that, you know, your cousin is running for governor and at the same time his political opponent could be putting you in charge of one of the most important positions in state government. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. 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.

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