Perdue, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. 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. Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. You know, there was a faction of regents members who were not supportive of him at all. Unquote. [61][62], In February 2020, Perdue endorsed putting a price on carbon dioxide, a climate change policy favored by many economists. He switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1998 and was re-elected to the State Senate as a Republican. Eric Stirgus: Yes. You know, he also backed Brian Kemp to fill the position of Secretary of State. 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? But Perdue is struggling. [45], During his governorship, the Georgia State Ethics Commission received thirteen complaints against Perdue. Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. As governor from 2003 until 2011, he celebrated the states legacy of chattel slaverysigning 2009 legislation making April Confederate History and Heritage Month, honoring the more than 90,000 brave men and women who served the Confederate States of America. He was an early adopter of race-motivated voter suppression, signing into law one of the nations first strict ID laws. 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. [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. Eric Stirgus: Yes, Sonny Perdue backed Kemp's state Senate bid in 2002. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Why isn't he going back to his farm? Gov. And Sonny Perdue was one of the only, if not the only cabinet member who went the distance in the Donald Trump administration. 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. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. The Board of Regents announced that the former Republican governor is its choice to become chancellor. Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. [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. 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. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. [News tape] Alex Ames, student activist, FOX5: And as governor, he chose to defund billions of dollars and begin, you know, a decades-long spree of defunding from our teachers and, you know, students and parent schools that we attend every day. 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. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. I'm Steve Fennessy. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. But then prior to him, you had Errol Davis, who was a utilities company executive and he had no administrative experience in higher education. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. 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 . [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. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. And then also, you know, maybe among some who might be interested in working for the university system. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. This is diversity and inclusion. 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". From the year 2017 to 2021, George has served as the 31st United States Secretary Of Agriculture. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. [46] The land was adjacent to the 20,000 acres (81km2) Oaky Woods preserve being sold by Weyerhaeuser. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. A chancellors job is to defend the system against such bills, said Matthew Boedy, a rhetoric and composition professor at the University of North Georgia and the president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. So I think there is some concern out there among some of them. Eric Stirgus: Georgia's top elected officials constantly talk about, you know, we need workers who are college and career ready, people who can just step into jobs. Eric Stirgus: For now, we have not heard any discussion about, you know, where Sonny Perdue will ultimately fall on the governor's race. Why is there 19? [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. [33] Georgia voters chose the flag resembling the Confederate flag. There is no conflict of interest in becoming a trustee of a trust that contains no conflicting interests.. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. Perdue announced the final relocation site in a letter that was distributed to employees Thursday morning. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. [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. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. Kemp replaced them with two additional members. 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 . 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. The office directed the USDA chief to reimburse the government for travel expenses and other costs of the event. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. One is there was a group of students who created a group called Students against Sonny. 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. Brian Kemp is in a fierce battle with David Perdue. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. [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. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. Who hires the chancellor? 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. 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. [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. [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. 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.. 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. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." What is that history? 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. [News tape] WSB: Gov. Through it all, Perdue maintained his extraordinary podcast, The Sonnyside of the Farm, a monthly testament to the genius of his boss and the glory of big agribusiness. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. The harangue, which ended with the ag secretary leading a chant of four more years, earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act, which forbids government employees from campaigning while on the job. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. 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. Sonny Perdue and Brian Kemp have a longstanding relationship politically, and then you have Sonny Perdue's cousin who is running against the governor now in the GOP primary. 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. Come on board with me. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. 260 14th St. NW Saeger, of Accountable.US, said the inspector general still needs to review that claim. Your support makes this possible. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. [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. 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. [News tape] WSB: After what the board's chairman described as a nationwide search with, quote, "numerous highly qualified candidates," in the end, the board voted to pick Perdue as the sole finalist for the job. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Anyone can read what you share. 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"? Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. 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. 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). Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. Using the CCC to hand billions to big farmersmajor Trump supporters in 2016 is a signature move of Perdues USDA. Secretary Perdue was just chastised for his abuse of tax dollars for political purposes by ethics authorities, so we cannot take these claims at face value, he said. 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. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. 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. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. [24], Late in the evening of March 29, 2005, the penultimate day of the legislative session, Representative Larry O'Neal, who also worked part-time as Perdue's personal lawyer, introduced legislation making capital gains tax owed on Georgia land sales deferrable if the income goes to purchase out-of-state land, also, unusually, making the tax break retroactive. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. A former two-term governor of Georgia, George Ervin Perdue III, known throughout his life as Sonny, served as Agriculture Secretary from 2017 to 2021. 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." "The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. Undeterred by the pandemic-led spike in hunger, Perdue also doubled- and tripled-down on a long-held goal: boosting work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that would eliminate food aid forat least 1.2 million peopleabout a third of them households containing senior citizens, nearly a quarter with children, and 11 percent with a disabled person, according tononpartisan think tank Mathematica. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. after feeling punished under Trump", 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie', The Trump administration is suppressing climate science, "US agriculture secretary breaks ranks to endorse carbon pricing", "USDA chief violated Hatch Act by advocating for Trump re-election, gov't watchdog says", "USDA's Perdue fined for violating Hatch Act while promoting food boxes", "Perdue rebuked for violating ethics law by boosting Trump's reelection", "The land was worth millions. 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.
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