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. The policy, according to the American Association of University Professors, is the only one of its kind in the country. Trump-backed Perdue struggles in Republican primary challenge in - CNN Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. 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.. Republican Sen. David Perdue, a former Fortune 500 CEO, will face off against Democrat Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old media executive, again in a runoff election Jan. 5. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? [7] Perdue and a partner purchased the agricultural land in 2009 and later earned so-called mitigation bank credits for converting the tract for wetland conservation purposes, according to the watchdog organizations. Secretary Perdue did nothing wrong when he complied with his ethics agreement and followed the advice of career ethics officers at USDA (at considerable personal expense) to restructure his trusts.. Faster kill lines boost packer profits even as they put already pandemic-stressed workers under greater strain, while also making proper social distancing even more difficult. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. Eric Stirgus: Yes. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." [67], Perdue and his wife, Mary (ne Ruff), were married in 1972 after dating for four years. 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. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. Eric Stirgus: Correct. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. 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. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. "[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. The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "This isn't critical race theory. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. 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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. 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. [25] Perdue then used the new law on his 2004 tax return to defer $100,000 in taxable gains from the sale of land. 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. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia - USG His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Kemp has used congressional redistricting to add more Sonny Perdue supporters to the Board of Regents. [60] In August 2019, Lewis Ziska, a USDA plant physiology climate scientist, quit after department administrators attempted to impede the publication of one of his studies in the journal Science Advances. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. And then also, I think, you know, there's been some criticism that he's not the best qualified person for the position. But should it go to a politician? The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. The other election pits Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. [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: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. Brian Kemp thinks so, and it looks like he's getting his way. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. Alec Poitevint, long a pivotal player in the Perdue network, is now backing Kemp over David Perdue. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue nominated as USDA Secretary As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. The Washington Post detailed several wish-list items that ADM achieved: loosening of regulations on pork production, fewer inspections, helping lobby against proposed government bans on glyphosate by Thailand and Vietnam, and promoting ethanol and biodiesel. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. "[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. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. And I understand that he wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor. Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [48], During meetings with Georgia state port officials, then-Governor Perdue discussed his family business's use of a terminal, then started a new export company in Savannah soon after leaving office. "The. [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. 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. 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". 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. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. Each of those firms is owned by Perdue Business Holdings Inc., and Secretary Perdues newly created FALF Management Trust of which the secretary is a co-trustee owns 100 percent of the voting stock in Perdue Business Holdings, according to his 2019 disclosure. What is that history? 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. We've been hearing that Gov. 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. [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. You can keep up with Georgia today by subscribing to the show at GPB.org. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. 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. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. Sonny Perdue faces ethics questions over his business holdings 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. @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. 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. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III[1] (born December 20, 1946) is an American veterinarian, businessman, politician, and university administrator who served as the 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. 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. 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". All Rights Reserved. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. 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. [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. [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. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. 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.
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