His name is Sonny Perdue. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Has he said, "I'm supporting the guy who's pushing my candidacy for chancellor" or "I'm supporting my cousin who's running against him"? The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Anyone can read what you share. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Georgia regents name Sonny Perdue finalist to lead University System Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. 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. 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. [News tape] 11Alive: This is where angry parents are accusing the school board of trying to indoctrinate students with controversial curriculum on race and American history. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. Perdue led Ossoff in the . 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. 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. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. 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. Thanks for listening. 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. 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. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. 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. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. 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. Steve Fennessy: You mentioned that there's a long political history between Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp. Libertarian Garrett Michael Hayes was also on the ballot. 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. [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. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.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. 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. The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. [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. 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. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. But Sonny Perdue was there from the beginning. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. Perdue is a cousin to Trump Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. After serving as a member of the Houston County Planning & Zoning Commission in the 1980s, Perdue ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Georgia General Assembly. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? And so now he's no longer on the regents. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. There's been some social media push against him. He served as his party's leader in the Senate from 1994 to 1997 and as president pro tempore. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see. White House Seeks To Lower Farmworker Pay To Help Agriculture - NPR Later, FALF Management Trust was created. But should it go to a politician? One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. Eric Stirgus: The chancellor is hired by the Board of Regents as a 19-member body, and all of those folks are appointed by the governor and so they serve seven-year terms. Sonny Perdue, aka George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, is known to be a veterinarian, businessman, and politician of the United States of America. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. He had even served as the 81st Governor of Georgia, and his tenure was from 2003 to 2011. This is Georgia Today. There may be that short list that some of these members of the Board of Regents have, but they're not allowed to discuss it publicly. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. [50], In September 2017, Politico reported that, according to 42 reviewed resumes, the department hired 22 former Trump campaign workers, many of which had no significant agricultural knowledge or experience with federal policies. (Washington, D.C., April 22, 2020) - Today, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced emergency benefit increases have reached $2.0 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households across all 50 states and 3 territories to increase food security during the coronavirus national emergency. Not surprisingly, the news has dismayed many, both inside and outside of academic circles, who worry that Sonny Perdue is conservative politics will set the university system on a dangerous course and even put the system's accreditation at risk. [News tape] 11Alive: Critical race theory about whites, blacks and U.S. history, parents saying that CRT is now indoctrinating students disguised in the school system's initiatives on diversity, equity and inclusion. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. Sonny Perdue - Wikipedia And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. 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). I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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 . [7] His appointment was approved by an 8711 vote by the Senate on April 24. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. Steve Fennessy: How Gov. Why isn't he going back to his farm? The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told the crowd at last week's event in North Carolina that he got a call from the White House. 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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. June 23, 2021. [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. According to the Georgia government's website on Confederate History Month, they also participated in the manufacture of products for the war effort, built naval ships, and provided military assistance and relief efforts"[38] The proclamation was criticized by historians for its historical inaccuracies,[39] although there were, in fact, African-Americans who served the Confederacy. Perdue made his acting debut in "We Are Marshall," a 2006 film about the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall University football players, coaches, supporters and staff.. 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. 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. 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. 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." President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Feb. 15, 2022 Georgia's public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. 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. 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. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. 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. Who hires the chancellor? And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. 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. How did we find out about that? But is there a way of, like, by appointing by at least advancing the candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor is this a way for Brian Kemp to gain some political points with some Trump voters out there? 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. [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. It's us but for your ears. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. 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. 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. 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? As expected, the board named former governor and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue as its sole finalist to head the University System of Georgia. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. The secretarys numerous and labyrinthine financial interests in agribusiness and land development makes it essential that his ethical commitments be rigorously enforced so as not to create a conflict of interest, Austin Evers, the groups executive director, wrote last week in a letter to the IGs office. Secretary Perdue has visibility into and control over the trusts and their underlying assets, and he continues to benefit from them despite the plain terms of his 2017 ethics agreement, Evers wrote to the inspector general. How is that number arrived at? It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. He praised the tax cuts and the program of deregulation, which, he claimed, benefitted the people who needed it most, those in the middle, and the lower rungs. Its little wonder that Trump would train his benevolence on the little people, because hes a blue-collar guy who worked for years in the construction yards, with all kinds of folks, all colors, Kudlow informed Perdues listeners. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: OK, Sonny Perdue is, I think he's 75. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. 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. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. But Perdue is struggling. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. 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. Raphael Warnock. 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. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. 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? Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report Steve Fennessy: When you look at past chancellors in the university system of Georgia, is that a position where the person who gets the job is typically coming from a higher educational background? The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds.