This is diversity and inclusion. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. 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. 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. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. [57] Current and former employees of the ERS were strongly critical of the relocation to Kansas City, saying the resulting exodus of scientific and economic talent caused disruption to federal research, especially on climate change and food security. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. Sonny Perdue Age: 75 Birthplace: Perry, Georgia Political History: Georgia state senator, 1991-2002; governor, 2003-2011; U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary, 2017-2021. The latest scrutiny stems from the agriculture secretary's wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development. 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. It's us but for your ears. Am I being naive to think that that that would be the case? The Board of Regents named Dr. Sonny Perdue the 14th chancellor of the University System of Georgia effective April 1, 2022. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [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. Come on board with me. Is Sonny Perdue staking out any does he have a dog in this fight, at least publicly? In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Your support makes this possible. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . 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. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. [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. 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. Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue nominated as USDA Secretary Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue 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. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87-to-11 on Monday evening. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." "[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. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. Eric Stirgus: Yes, definitely. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. Monsters of 2020: Sonny Perdue - Mother Jones Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. Born George Ervin Perdue III, Perdue has been known as Sonny since childhood, and prefers to be called by that name; he was sworn in and signs official documents as "Sonny Perdue". The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. Steve Fennessy: So what happened then? They have to be in charge of making sure that the schools comply with federal education policies and procedures, state education rules and regulations. Earlier this week, Georgia's Board of Regents announced that Sonny Perdue was the sole finalist for the job. Georgias public university system said on Tuesday that former Gov. 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. The Perdue USDA also insisted that federally funded grocery boxes distributed by food banks contain a letter signed by Trump, touting the administrations coronavirus response. Perdues response? Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. [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. You know, looking at that and he can say that Gov. 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. Steve Fennessy: So the faction that was opposed or is opposed to the idea of Sonny Perdue as chancellor seems to be getting smaller. 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 . [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. 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. You know, there were some complaints that, you know, he was involved in some changes that, you know, made it a little bit more difficult for students to get the HOPE scholarship. Perdues spokesperson also rejected the watchdog groups request for an investigation as politically motivated. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. Is that right? Senator David Perdue by their grandfather George Ervin Perdue I. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. 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. Senate Republicans aghast at Perdue's false election claims in - CNN 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.. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. 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. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. "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. 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. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. 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. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. 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. Raphael Warnock. 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. We've been hearing that Gov. Steve Fennessy: Chancellor of the University System of Georgia it's one of the most coveted jobs in higher education. 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. 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. Why is accreditation important for a university system like Georgia's? Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. [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. June 23, 2021. Steve Fennessy: Eric, you've covered higher education in Georgia for a lot of years. 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. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . [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. 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. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. 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. Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. 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. Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Sonny Perdue: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO [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. He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . 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. It pays pretty well. It is simply unacceptable for people to sneak into this country illegally on Thursday, obtain a government-issued ID on Friday, head for the welfare office on Monday, and cast a vote on Tuesday, he declared, backing up his rancid lies with a crackdown on undocumented people. Our engineers are Jesse Nighswonger and Jake Cook. I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. 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. 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.