what is sonny perdue doing now

I'm joined by Eric Stirgus, who covers higher education for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. 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. [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. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? I ran because I was frustrated with the government. Launched in October 2019, a week after the House of Representatives announced an impeachment inquiry against Trump, the show began with an appearance from Sarah Huckabee Sanders. This week on Georgia Today, we look at some issues Bottoms faced during her tenure as mayor with CNN national correspondentRyan Young. But should it go to a politician? 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.. Sonny Perdue, of course, was a two-term governor of Georgia, as well as secretary of agriculture under former President Donald Trump. Revoking accreditation to schools including the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State and Georgia Southern would be a monumental step. Eric Stirgus: You know, he's never spoken publicly about it. 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. You know, we reported as soon as we got the copy of the letter. [51], Perdue was the designated survivor on January 30, 2018, for President Trump's first State of the Union address. Lance Cheung/USDA; Mother Jones Illustration. [34] In a 2014 editorial published by National Review, Perdue criticized attempts by "some on the left or in the mainstream media" to connect climate change to weather events. Therefore the new trust Perdue listed on his 2019 financial disclosure, identifying himself as a co-trustee, poses no conflict of interest or violation of his ethics commitments, the spokesperson said. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and was named chancellor of the University System of Georgia in 2022.. Background and Education Kemp is sort of paying back a favor. [News tape] FOX5: The Board of Regents has made its choice for the state's next chancellor. (Washington, D.C., April 22, 2020) - Today, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced emergency benefit increases have reached $2.0 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households across all 50 states and 3 territories to increase food security during the coronavirus national emergency. Sonny Perdue was its sole finalist to become chancellor, a choice that has outraged some professors and led a. Why is Sonny Perdue is such a polarizing figure? Yes, there is a acting chancellor. SteveFennessyis host of Georgia Today,a weekly radio show and podcast on Georgia Public Broadcasting thatexplains stories of interest to Georgians through the experience and perspective of the reporters covering those stories. . Or are they sometimes coming from outside it? Sonny Perdue may soon head up Georgias public university system. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. [News tape] WSB: Gov. I can't imagine Sonny Perdue doing that." What Is Sonny Perdue Doing Now? Kemp and Perdue are also close political allies, and Kemp recently replaced four members on the board before the vote. 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. [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. While Perdue puffed up the generosity of his boss, the USDA was busy botching the food-relief effort, awarding fat contracts to distributors ill-equipped to handle them, with the result that some parts of the country got a lot of food, while others got very little, NPR reported. The staff of Mother Jones is highlighting the years heroes and monsters. He enjoys flying and, in a 2003 incident, was accused of flying a state helicopter without a license. 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. "[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. 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. 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. He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. David Perdue now a U.S. senator to . The board cited Perdue's, quote, "vast understanding of the issues facing the university system," unquote. What is that history? [News tape] parent at recent school board meeting, 11Alive: "I don't know how or why this would be debated.". Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. Eric Stirgus: Sonny Perdue, you know, encouraged then-President Trump to endorse Brian Kemp in the Republican primary back in 2018. 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. 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. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? There may be that short list that some of these members of the Board of Regents have, but they're not allowed to discuss it publicly. In 2011, he founded Perdue Partners, which facilitated the export of U.S. goods and services. 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. It's us but for your ears. 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. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. The property (in Estill, South Carolina) had originally been purchased by ADM for 5.5 million dollars, and independent assessments and government tax assessors agree on that as a fair range; however, AGrowStar was offered the property for US$250,000, a fraction of its value. This is Georgia Today. The Board of Regents is expected to confirm Perdue's appointment in the next two weeks. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms shocked manyby announcing last week she will not be running for reelection. 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. 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. Steve Fennessy: How big is the university system? June 23, 2021. The Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Archives . Students and faculty members around the state are reacting to news that Republican former Gov. And so, you know, I think he was one of those, you know, members who, you know, was part of that faction were against it. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, payments on the Go Fish bonds, approved by Perdue and the General Assembly in 2007, runs through December 2027 with most payments $1 million a year in bond money. Eric Stirgus: You know, and then there have been other instances where, you know, Sonny has supported now-Gov. 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"? Latest news, headlines, analysis, photos and videos on Sonny Perdue Steve Fennessy: So there's a school of thought that Gov. Eric Stirgus: Now, you know, conversely, his supporters say he was a governor of Georgia for eight years. It's a little off the beaten path. Eric Stirgus: I think it's been a mix of both. 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.. The reallocation entailed raising the companys holdings of highly valuable wetlands credits while lowering its portion of much cheaper stream credits. The secretarys office contends he has complied with the agreement. Steve Fennessy: Well, let's unpack a little bit more this rather awkward political relationship going on. A low-ball estimate of the value of storage in the grain silos was US$3 million. You know, he was brought on actually, you know, during Sonny Perdue's tenure to take on the job. Eric Stirgus: Well, there's been a few ways. [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. Eric Stirgus: I think you would have many people who would say that it is a political decision or that the board members themselves have, you know, some say depending on their own personal politics. Charles S. Bullock, III, The Georgia Political Almanac, The General Assembly 199394. Eric Stirgus: Last March, we started hearing talk you know that Perdue was interested in the job or that some board members on the Board of Regents were interested in him becoming chancellor. He praised the tax cuts and the program of deregulation, which, he claimed, benefitted the people who needed it most, those in the middle, and the lower rungs. Its little wonder that Trump would train his benevolence on the little people, because hes a blue-collar guy who worked for years in the construction yards, with all kinds of folks, all colors, Kudlow informed Perdues listeners. But is there a way of, like, by appointing by at least advancing the candidacy of Sonny Perdue for chancellor is this a way for Brian Kemp to gain some political points with some Trump voters out there? I give him my full and total endorsement.". The North American Vexillological Association had deemed it the ugliest U.S. state flag. 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. Steve Fennessy: What form has that opposition taken on college campuses or in academic circles? [55], In July 2019, Perdue ordered two USDA agenciesthe Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agricultureto move from the USDA's headquarters in Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City metropolitan area. [18], Perdue was elected as a Democrat in 1991, 1994, and 1996. [28] In 2008, Georgia moved up again, to 45th place. Citing export losses from Trumps trade war with China, the USDA lavished mainly huge soybean, hog, and cotton farmers with $28 billion in 2018 and 2019more than double the price tag of President Barack Obamas 2009 auto bailout. Looking at the pandemic, they've also had to take on some additional responsibilities, such as, you know, managing coronavirus relief funds. Eric Stirgus: Yeah, I mean, and that's the argument that many of Kemp's team has said. Not that Perdue lacks national stature - he was the governor of Georgia, a heavily agricultural state, from 2003 to 2011. What is it about this job that appeals to him? Steve Fennessy: As you said, Sonny Perdue persuaded Donald Trump when he was president to endorse Brian Kemp. Jess Mador is our producer. "You have got to have stuff where there is a lot of traffic. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Personal: Perdue. Trump announced just days before his own inauguration, on Jan. 20, 2017, that. The design of the 2001 Georgian flag was widely unpopular, being derisively named the "Barnes flag". Dr. Sonny Perdue bio. (David Perdue is now locked in a tight runoff election that could decide which party controls the Senate in the next Congress.). Raphael Warnock. [46] After the state dropped out of the bidding and the land was sold to developers, the value of Perdue's property more than doubled. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? 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? I'm Steve Fennessy. 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.