what is sonny perdue doing now

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. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." [40], In 2008, Perdue worked with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency to implement Ready Georgia, a campaign to increase disaster preparedness throughout the state. [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. Here's Why", "USGS Release: Atlanta Flooding Sets New Records", "Gov. On April 1, 2022, Perdue took over as the system's 14th chancellor. Her name is Theresa McCartney, and she worked under Mr. Wrigley. 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. The . I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. [42] The floods resulted in Perdue declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. "[45], The project overall has been scrutinized as a waste of taxpayer money due to mismanagement of bond money and extremely low visitors. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. [31] The choices were a modified version of the First National Flag of the Confederate States of America, with the Georgia State Seal prominently displayed inside a circle of 13 stars, or the flag created in 2001 by the Roy Barnes administration. Georgia Today: Is Mayor Bottoms Paying The Political Cost For A COVID Crime Wave? 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. [News tape] WSB: In a statement, Perdue said education funding was affected by twin recessions while he was governor. 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. [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. Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia - USG June 23, 2021. So Sonny Perdue is very much in the good graces of Donald Trump. 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. How did we find out about that? The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. Steve Fennessy: The governor appoints the regents on the Board of Regents; there's 19 of them. "The. A department spokesperson claims the 2017 agreement had to refer to the holding company at large, rather than those two firms in particular, because it was the legal entity that owned the businesses. Yes, there is a acting chancellor. Brian Kemp: Obviously, this is huge for our campaign. Jess Mador is our producer. 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. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. The business holdings were a source of concern during his confirmation process, as well as during his time as Georgia governor from 2003-11, when he faced more than a dozen ethics complaints and was found to have funneled illegal amounts of money from his businesses to his campaign in 2002. 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". [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. Sonny Perdue Facts - Who Is Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary Steve Fennessy: By definition, you're appointed as a regent by the sitting governor, but appointing and hiring a chancellor is supposedly, at least theoretically, not supposed to be political, right? The former two-term Georgia governor has kept his cabinet post until the end, maintaining a close relationship with . after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. USDA To Implement President Trump's Executive Order On Meat and Poultry [58][59], Under Perdue, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) was accused of suppressing scientific publications for political reasons. [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. 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. I cant imagine Sonny Perdue doing that.. 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. [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. At the beginning of 2020, Perdue yearned publicly for a way to cut federally mandated wages for migrant farm workers on guest visas. 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. Senate Republicans aghast at Perdue's false election claims in - CNN 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. 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. I ran because I was frustrated with the government. 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. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Similarly, while the pandemic savaged meatpacking workers, killing at least 563 as of mid-December, the ag department kept on with a trend it had started in 2019: allowing giant poultry companies to speed up their slaughterhouse kill lines. 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. 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 crux of the watchdog complaint comes down to a handful of Perdues businesses the secretary reported as sources of income, at least a half-million dollars, on his 2019 filing. President Trump is endorsing Brian Kemp's Republican opponent in the primary, David Perdue, to be the next governor. Sonny Perdue Is Sole Finalist to Lead Georgia's Public Universities [14][15], Perdue is not related to the family who owns and operates Perdue Farms (commonly associated with the brand "Perdue Chicken").[16][17]. 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. 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. 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. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? It generated $102,077 in revenue or about 11 cents for every dollar it cost to run the center in years past. [21] He became the first Republican governor of Georgia in 131 years since Benjamin F. [43], Beginning in 2007, Governor Perdue began to pursue the goal of making Georgia the "bass-fishing tourism mecca". I'm going to read a paragraph towards the end of her letter. 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 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. 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"? 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. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who like Grassley is up for reelection in 2022, said he hasn't "paid a lot of attention" to Georgia's governor race, saying "we got our hands full . Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. 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. Find them all here. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. I give him my full and total endorsement.". She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. His Democratic opponent was Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. How Perdue's power benefits his friends - POLITICO Sanders: one of the the most fun, engaging, charming, and charismatic people Ive ever been around. Perdue: he has an amazing instinctive ability to make decisions.. Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue Eric Stirgus: Well, he didn't go into specifics that day. What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. I'm Steve Fennessy. 10 Things You Didn't Know About Sonny Perdue - US News & World Report Inexpensive, too! And besides the national prominence afforded any state governor, Perdue garnered widespread attention for his actions in 2007 during the worst drought in Georgia's history. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Although it returned to last place in 2005,[26] Georgia rose to 49th place in 2006 in the combined math and reading mean score, including the writing portion added to the test that year. His nomination was transmitted to the U.S. Senate on March 9, 2017. [3], In 2004, Perdue sued the Environmental Protection Agency to block environmental regulations on reformulated gasoline. 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. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. "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. So very excited to have the president standing with us and I'm a lot like him. 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). Mitch Daniels of Indiana has led Purdue University since 2012. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. Sonny Perdue served two terms as governor of Georgia before being named Agriculture Secretary in the Trump administration. [9], Perdue was born in Perry, Georgia, the son of Ophie Viola (Holt), a teacher, and George Ervin Perdue Jr., a farmer. Sonny Perdue on Confirmation to Lead Dept. He served two terms,. Like Trump, hes a former Democrat who ascended to political power (in Perdues case, Georgia governor) in a stunning upset. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? Atlanta, GA 30318 [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. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. Eric Stirgus: No, not officially, you know, because they are personnel decisions that the board makes. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. 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. The first two companies are managed by Perdues children, according to Georgia records. By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from Mother Jones and our partners. 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. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Brian Kemp in Mays Republican primary. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. Opponents of the choice say Perdue's appointment would jeopardize academic freedom across the systems 26 campuses. Thanks for listening. The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. He referenced the pandemic and the phrase "Cultural Revolution." It's called critical race theory, but other parents and some students said that's not what's going on in the classrooms at all. In December 2001, Perdue resigned as state senator and devoted himself entirely to running for the office of Governor of Georgia. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? When you go this long without having a permanent chancellor on board, what signal does that send or how does that affect the operations of our schools? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [69] Perdue lives in Bonaire, Georgia. He left in June. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. Kudlow used the opportunity to fluff Trumps economic record. [News tape] WSB: He called being named a finalist a quote wonderful capstone to a career in public service. 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. That's next. So you have 14 members who serve each congressional district in Georgia, and then there are five at-large positions. 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. 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. Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia.

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