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. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. 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. 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. In July, with the economic fallout from the pandemic generating a massive hunger crisis, Perdue alighted on North Carolina, a key swing state, to stage a rally promoting congressionally mandated food aid as an example of the personal benevolence of Donald Trump. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? 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. Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. 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. [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. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. 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. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? "[37], According to a March 5, 2008, proclamation by Perdue, "Among those who served the Confederacy were many African-Americans, both free and slave, who saw action in the Confederate armed forces in many combat roles. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. (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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. 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: Welcome back to Georgia Today. What is that history? 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. 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? According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was a plum post for the political novice, which he used as a springboard that helped propel him to a US Senate seat in 2014. [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. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. [67], Regardless of whether the deal was intended to influence Perdue's actions, and if it was if it actually had any impact, the Perdue years were good ones for ADM. Brian Kemp is not. 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. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. Why is there 19? Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. [67], Perdue's assets during his time as Secretary were placed in blind trusts, as is common to prevent financial conflicts of interest. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. So tell us, what does the job of chancellor of Georgia universities and colleges entail? Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. Meanwhile, in 2020, the pandemic ravaged meatpacking workers and put millions out of work, causing a surge in the need for food assistanceboth very much areas of concern for the agriculture department. A longtime Atlanta-based journalist, he is a former editor-in-chief of Atlanta magazine. Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. 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. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. 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. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. 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. 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. [23], In January 2003, Perdue signed an executive order prohibiting himself and all other state employees from receiving any gift worth more than $25. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. This is the golden rule do unto others.". She currently produces the Georgia Today and Battleground: Ballot Box shows. Eric Stirgus: Yes. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." Later, FALF Management Trust was created. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. 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. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. A Senate panel backed a bill on Tuesday that would put pressure on local school boards to adhere to the open meetings laws and create barriers to removing disruptive parents from meetings. You know, I've worked with him, but you know, I just didn't feel like, you know, he was the best person for the job. 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. Many credit Pierre Howard for helping Perdue build the early foundation of what would become his future political career.[20]. 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. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, there's just some uncertainty among many faculty members about, you know, who will eventually serve in the position and you know what role they may take on, you know, on this, you know, systems operations. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. 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. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. He was there at the end. [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]. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. Steve Fennessy: What did you think when you first heard about that? And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. Raphael Warnock. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Higher education is where I wanted to have a real impact as governor, only to be stymied by twin recessions, he said in the board-issued statement. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. [24], In mid-2003, Perdue purchased 101 acres (0.41km2) of land next to his Houston County, Georgia, home. 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 watchdog groups are now seeking information about whether Perdue was involved in a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers which works with USDA on some wetlands restoration efforts to reallocate Soque River Conservations credits in a way that significantly increased their value. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. 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. Sonny Perdue won the 2002 Georgia governor's race, defeating the incumbent, Democrat Roy Barnes, to become the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. Founder and partner in an agricultural trading company,[4] Perdue served from 2012 to 2017 on the Governors' Council of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.[3][5] He is the second secretary of agriculture from the Deep South; the first was Mike Espy of Mississippi, who served under President Bill Clinton from January 1993 to December 1994. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. [46], In December 2004, Perdue bought $2 million worth of land near Disney World from a developer who he had previously appointed to the state's economic development board. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. Eric Stirgus: There are 26 institutions in the system. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said today that he did not plan to step down from his Cabinet duties, amid reports that the president is getting ready to make several . [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. 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. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. Listen on Apple Podcasts. "The. Steve Fennessy: Yeah. Terms of Service apply. These emergency benefits represent a 40% increase in . The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. 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. 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. [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. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? 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. But last year,. Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. "There is one thing we know for sure: Sen. David Perdue will be . 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. The . Gov. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. 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. 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 U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. Last month, the U.S. State Department said it will start processing more applicants seeking H-2A temporary. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. 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. Steve Fennessy: So I'm guessing that maybe he wants to stay out of this altogether, or do we know if he is going to make any kind of public statement endorsing one way or the other? Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. [23] Prior to Perdue's becoming governor, no state agency had compiled an inventory of what assets were owned by the state. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. The property (in Estill, South Carolina) had originally been purchased by ADM for 5.5 million dollars, and independent assessments and government tax assessors agree on that as a fair range; however, AGrowStar was offered the property for US$250,000, a fraction of its value. 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. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. But ethics questions have piled up in recent months about the secretarys mixing of USDA duties and his political promotion of the president. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). All Rights Reserved. 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? Inexpensive, too! Eric Stirgus: Correct. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." And so now he's no longer on the regents. 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. [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 watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. He served two terms,. So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. 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. 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? That's next. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. 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. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. 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. What's the implication there? A Big Ag corporation sold it to Sonny Perdue's company for $250,000", "Agriculture secretary pick Perdue led big political change in Georgia", "Official: Perdue flew copter without license", "Governor Perdue Makes Acting Debut in "We Are Marshall", Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sonny_Perdue&oldid=1142223043, Democratic Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Republican Party Georgia (U.S. state) state senators, Presidents pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate, Republican Party governors of Georgia (U.S. state), Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 05:05. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. After Perdue took office, in 2003 and 2004, Georgia moved up from last place in the country in SAT scores. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump.