"The most important activity in which any governing board will be involved in is the selection of the CEO. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. Perdue then decided that the Go Fish Education Center would be built down the road from his home. [24] During his governorship, Perdue collected at least $25,000 in gifts, including sporting event tickets and airplane flights. 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. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Find them all here. David Perdue is saying, "I'm the big Trump guy here." This is Georgia Today. 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.. But you know, we are hearing, you know, some of the newer members could be a lot more supportive of Sonny Perdue. [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. A USDA spokesperson denied Perdue was involved and said holding such land doesnt conflict with his duties as secretary. Two-thirds of the reassigned USDA employees chose to quit rather than accept relocation. [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. Sonny Perdue had campaigned on his cousins behalf during David Perdues 2020 re-election campaign, which he narrowly lost to Senator Jon Ossoff. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. Atlanta, GA 30318 Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 11/08/2018 02:42 PM EST. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. Why isn't he going back to his farm? 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. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. The latest scrutiny stems from Perdues wealth of current and former interests in agriculture, trucking and land development a complex web of trusts, land parcels, holding companies and subsidiaries. 260 14th St. NW [14] He defeated Republican candidate Ned Sanders in 1990 and succeeded Democratic incumbent Ed Barker as the senator representing the 18th district. Who hires the chancellor? He won his first term in 2014 by fewer than 8 percentage points. 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. 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. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. [47], Perdue was constitutionally ineligible to seek a third consecutive term as governor in the 2010 Georgia gubernatorial election. His committee assignments included Ethics, Finance & Public Utilities, Health & Human Services, Reapportionment, and Economic Development, Tourism & Cultural Affairs. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? In his 2002 election campaign, Perdue promised that he would let the state's citizens vote to determine the state flag. Terms of Service apply. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor 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. So that's a little strange, isn't it? 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. [72], In 2006, Perdue's financial disclosure forms revealed that he had a net worth of approximately $6 million and received compensation of $700,000 that year.[73]. In 2010, at the tail end of his second term as governor, Perdue named his cousin, David Perduewho had just stepped down as chief executive of Dollar General discount storesto the board of the Georgia Ports Authority. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. So you've had recently, you know, the Board of Regents members serve seven-year terms. So we have Brian Kemp in this fierce battle against David Perdue primary battle for governor. Gov. 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. 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. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo. 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.. [27] In 2007, Georgia moved up to 46th place. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. 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. 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. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. 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. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. Critics argued that the deal should be investigated, and speculated that ADM, which spends millions of dollars on lobbying regardless, used the property sale as a bribe for favorable treatment. 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. The income stemmed partly from the sale of conservation credits under a federal wetlands protection program. Former US Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue were named chancellor of the University System of Georgia by the Board of Regents today (USG). Eric Stirgus: During his time as agriculture secretary there was, you know, there's been some criticism about his record, you know, concerning issues such as climate change. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." You know, then there are many others outside the metro area. [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. Unquote. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. 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. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgias Public Universities, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/us/sonny-perdue-georgia-chancellor.html. He stated that legitimate, measurable carbon trading could spur so-called carbon sequestration by giving farmers an incentive to innovate. June 23, 2021. 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. Jess Mador is the lead podcast producer at GPB News. Steve Fennessy: And when Wrigley said he was going to retire, was there kind of a shortlist floated around of possible successors? Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. 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. Steve Fennessy: But in the state of Georgia, I would think that, at least of jobs that are sort of in the employ of the state of Georgia, there are few that are more prominent or important than chancellor. Why is there 19? 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. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. Eric Stirgus: Most of them are designated by congressional district. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. The watchdogs question whether the sale of AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products was enough to quash all potential conflicts. Eric Stirgus: There was some support on the regents, but not enough support to get him across the finish line to be named as chancellor. 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 . Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has long been President Donald Trumps most effective advocate among rural voters. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. All Rights Reserved. [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. Perdue claimed a combined $511,800 in income from Perdue Inc., a trucking company; Houston Fertilizer & Grain Co., which manages commercial real estate in Bonaire, Ga.; and StarPort Logistics LLC. Later, FALF Management Trust was created. 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. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said. You know, I guess at the time, they sort of came to an impasse and there was a search firm that was hired to help with the process, but pulled out of the process. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 19-1 voice vote on March 30. Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. Eric Stirgus: Correct. 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. 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. [6] His nomination was approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee by a 191 voice vote on March 30. But last year,. 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. The sole vote against him came from Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. How did we find out about that? He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a regional agency to threaten the accreditation of the 26-school system. Some would say the most important job is, you know, making sure that money that comes from the state is sent to the schools and is being spent properly. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. So we have not had a chancellor at least, a non-interim chancellor for at least seven or eight months, right? [News tape] WSB: Gov. But Perdue is struggling. What is that history? I'm Steve Fennessy. If a college loses accreditation, warned the agencys president, Belle S. Wheelan, it could cause enrollment declines, lead to bad publicity and revoke the schools access to federal money. 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. His name is Sonny Perdue. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. 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. As governor, Perdue mastered the Trumpian strategy of using know-nothing bigotry as a beard for brazen self-dealing, sometimes involving his own family. Perdue will not improve the state of education as chancellor - he will only ruin it.. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. What does it mean to be a chancellor? He's also a fierce advocate for Sonny Perdue to land the chancellor job, saying his experience . [41] The next year, Georgia was affected by the September floods, which were the most severe in Georgia's recorded history. [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. 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. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. 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. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. 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. Perdue served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain before his discharge. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. [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. Perdue is the first cousin of former U.S. 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. We've been hearing that Gov. Entitled President Trumps Affection for American Farmers, the episode featured the host and former White House press secretary competing to see who could lavish the most praise on Trump. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. Quite honestly, I've been in the private sector for 30 years.