The former Georgia governor has a background in agriculture. Along with the recent Hatch Act violation, Perdue is facing blowback from Democrats and food banks for requiring all contractors under a $4 billion coronavirus relief program to stuff promotional letters signed by Trump into millions of food boxes delivered to hungry families. The new law saved Perdue $100,000 in state taxes. The credits are meant to offset the environmental impact of land development and they can be bought and sold on the marketplace. Perdue wrote that "liberals have lost all credibility when it comes to climate science because their arguments have become so ridiculous and so obviously disconnected from reality. Coronavirus-riddled slaughterhouses, in turn, emerged as primary vectors for spreading the pathogen to surrounding communities. The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry overwhelmingly approved his nomination on March 30, with a 191 vote. 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. Find them all here. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. Presumably, some political appointees who served in the Trump administration did so with earnest intentions, hoping to bring dignity and professionalism to the task of advancing the Republican agenda of deregulation, austerity (for non-cronies), and upward wealth redistribution. 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. [29] Perdue also created additional opportunities for charter schools and private schools. That relationship famously has gone has gone south. That's next. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? 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, a former US senator, has so far raised a fraction of what Kemp has in his campaign war chest. 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). 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: I think, you know, his critics have a couple of reasons that they're concerned. [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. 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. [25] Perdue signed the legislation into law on April 12, 2005, three days before tax day. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. 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. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). Eric Stirgus: He has some interest in the job because, you know, he realizes the importance of higher education to the state's economy. 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. [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. Let's go into November and be against Stacey Abrams together.". He continued his effort to cut their wages, ultimately teaming with the Department of Labor on a rule change that will result in an aggregate wage cut worth at least $170.68 million annually over the next ten yearsa transfer of money from low-wage workers to relatively wealthy farm owners. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. His name is Sonny Perdue. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. 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 . Both elections are set for Jan. 5, though early voting began on Monday. [News tape] FOX5: Students against Sonny have collected more than a thousand signatures on a petition on Change.org. So without that accreditation, it could severely impact, you know, enrollment. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "As the vigil ended, the sun shone through what had been a cloudy morning. I'm Steve Fennessy. He was there at the end. 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. What's the implication there? Listen on Apple Podcasts. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? I ran because I was frustrated with the government. 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. [25], In 2007, Perdue convinced a skeptical legislature to approve a $19 million fishing tourism program he called Go Fish Georgia. [68] They have four children (Leigh, Lara, Jim, and Dan),[68] 14 grandchildren (six boys and eight girls), and have also been foster parents for many children. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. Sonny Perdue is cousins with David Perdue, who is now engaged in a bitter primary battle against Brian Kemp Brian Kemp, who, of course, is backing Sonny Perdue. And you know, I think there have been a couple of state lawmakers who have publicly come out against the idea. Steve Fennessy: There's something else going on here. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) abstained, as they are first cousins. [7] 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. [19] After his first year in office, Senator Perdue wrote then Lt. 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? Thanks for listening. Steve Fennessy: The last full-time permanent chancellor, why did they leave? So let's go into November with me as your nominee.". Eric Stirgus: There have been some faculty members who have, you know, written letters to the University System of Georgia, you know, stating their opposition. He left in June. Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? [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. She said that this is coming from a place of strength and not weakness. He also talked about, you know, bringing stability to the system. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Steve Fennessy: So he left in June. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. after feeling punished under Trump, "Economists flee Agriculture Dept. The administration began acquiring bond money for the Go Fish Education Center near his home in Perry, GA. One is looking at his record, as you know, the governor of Georgia. Chris Saeger, a spokesperson for Accountable.US, said the reorganization of Perdues assets from one trust to another appears to be nothing more than a shell game and a maze of technicalities and denials.. [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. Very few Republican elected officials, operatives, donors and activists in Georgia have. 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. Governor Pierre Howard asking for more responsibilities, and Howard obliged. [56] The attrition rate was particularly high in the Resource and Rural Economics Division (90%) and in the Food Economics Division (up to 89%). 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. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. 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.. 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. Perdue will begin his duties as the 14th chancellor on April 1, according to a press release from USG. Eric Stirgus: Yes, I think the governor could certainly use this on the campaign trail and, you know, to, you know, David Perdue supporters and say, "Hey, look, you know, I've made Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the university system. The Perdue USDAs largesse to large-scale farmers and agribusinesses went beyond cutting wages and protective measures for their workers. Like Trump, he's a former Democratwho ascended to political power (in Perdue's case, Georgia. [53] In August 2017, he announced a mentoring program for new farmers. But Perdue is struggling. "[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. Eric Stirgus: And then there's been issues that a lot of Republican lawmakers have been bringing up to in the Georgia Legislature in recent years about campus speech issues that they feel that, you know, students and groups cannot speak freely on college campuses, particularly conservatives. It's us but for your ears. 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. Steve Fennessy: Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor and president of the Georgia conference of the American Association of University Professors, told the New York Times that, quote, "a chancellor's job is to defend the system against such bills. An investigationby the Food and Environment Reporting Networks Leah Douglas found that at least 40 percent of chicken plants operating at the higher speeds experienced COVID outbreaks, versus 14 percent for the overall meat sector. Its another death, wound, stab in the heart for anybody that works in the university system to have someone like this, he said. And you know, for a lot of critics, you know, it did raise their concerns about all of this. Eric Stirgus: Publicly, I don't think he's said one way or another right now. Sonny Perdue won the 2002 Georgia governor's race, defeating the incumbent, Democrat Roy Barnes, to become the state's first Republican governor since Reconstruction. He was the only member of the Trump administration to endorse such a plan. Come on board with me. [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. Steve Fennessy: Well, there was also some changes that happened on the board itself, right? At least he is out of the gate. Perdue led Ossoff in the . Steve Fennessy: Politics makes strange bedfellows. Eric Stirgus: It was pretty newsy for us. 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. But you know, obviously, you know, there's been a lot of talk recently about issues like critical race theory. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The terms of two of those members expired at the beginning of January, and Gov. He was sworn in by Supreme Court associate justice and fellow Georgian Clarence Thomas. Why are we still talking about this, then? Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Perdue, Trump's first and only agriculture secretary, is a notable exception. That decision and the selection of Mr. Perdue are both intrusions on academic freedom, Mr. Boedy, the University of North Georgia professor, said.