what is sonny perdue doing now

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. On December 30, 2016, Perdue's company AGrowStar purchased property and a facility from Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), a large American agribusiness corporation that the Department of Agriculture regulates. after feeling punished under Trump", 'It feels like something out of a bad sci-fi movie', The Trump administration is suppressing climate science, "US agriculture secretary breaks ranks to endorse carbon pricing", "USDA chief violated Hatch Act by advocating for Trump re-election, gov't watchdog says", "USDA's Perdue fined for violating Hatch Act while promoting food boxes", "Perdue rebuked for violating ethics law by boosting Trump's reelection", "The land was worth millions. Steve Fennessy: Welcome back to Georgia Today. Why is there 19? Steve Fennessy: Yeah. 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. [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. He left in June. Perdue is a kind of an easy-going Southern version of the president he served so zealously. Sonny Perdue served two terms as the governor of Georgia, from 2003 to 2011. The harangue, which ended with the ag secretary leading a chant of four more years, earned Perdue a knuckle-rap from the Office of Special Counsel for violating the Hatch Act, which forbids government employees from campaigning while on the job. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. I'm Steve Fennessy. 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. [News tape] FOX5: Critics have questioned Perdue's experience, pointing out his lack of experience in the higher education setting. GPB is committedto bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia, across the country and around the world. 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. The department did not provide further documentation that potential conflicts in 2017 were limited to AGrowStar and Pro Ag Products. This is diversity and inclusion. This is Georgia Today. 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. He was the first Republican chosen by Georgians to occupy the governor's mansion since the Reconstruction-era election of Rufus Bullock in 1868. Brian Kemp is not. Steve Fennessy: Sonny Perdue is a Republican, so when he uses an expression like Cultural Revolution, what is he referring to? [46] The land was eventually sold to developers; however, the state was evaluating bidding on the property and keeping it as a reserve. His selection has angered professors concerned about academic freedom. [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. You know, he's a strong conservative, you know, and he's David Perdue's cousin. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. You know, Steve Wrigley, you know, he worked in the university system before he became chancellor, so he did have some of that experience. Sonny Perdue issues state of emergency for 17 Georgia counties", "Perdue fails to disclose '04 purchase of land", "Trump to announce Sonny Perdue for Agriculture", "Sonny Perdue Sworn in as 31st U.S. Secretary of Agriculture", "Trump hires campaign workers instead of farmworkers at USDA", "Sonny Perdue is Trump's 'designated survivor' for State of the Union 2018", "Perdue tells second Iowa Ag Summit he wants to support new farmers", "Trump administration to return refined grains to school lunches", Many USDA workers to quit as research agencies move to Kansas City: 'The brain drain we all feared', ERS union predicts mass exodus ahead of relocation, 'Cut, Relocate, Eviscerate': Moving a USDA Research Agency Will Have Lasting Consequences, Employees Say, Economists flee Agriculture Dept. On January 18, 2017, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would nominate Perdue to be Secretary of Agriculture. Your support makes this possible. Eric Stirgus: Yes. [22], Perdue advocated reforms designed to cut waste in government, most notably the sale of surplus vehicles and real estate. Why isn't he going back to his farm? He also has largely avoided the sort of major scandals that have dogged many others in Trumps Cabinet. And so there are some ways to Sonny Perdue can help the university system of Georgia. American Oversight is now calling on the inspector general to investigate whether Perdue improperly participated in any such decision, given his ethics pledge to stay out of any matters that might have a direct and predictable effect on the financial interests of the assets in his trusts. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. He was there at the end. He was confirmed by the Senate on April 24,[49] with Bernie Sanders and nine Democrats voting against him. [News tape] WSB: As governor, Perdue's record on education is also being called into question. Georgia Public Radio GPTV, Oversight group isnt reviewing Georgia regents choice of Sonny Perdue. Faster kill lines boost packer profits even as they put already pandemic-stressed workers under greater strain, while also making proper social distancing even more difficult. [8] Perdue served as Secretary of Agriculture throughout Trump's term. [News tape] 11Alive: He tweeted, "Brian Kemp is running for governor of the Great State of Georgia. Steve Fennessy: How unusual is it for a letter like that to be written? 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.. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was a plum post for the political novice, which he used as a springboard that helped propel him to a US Senate seat in 2014. 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. [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. 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. Why are we still talking about this, then? 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. "The. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources figures showed 21,101 people visited the Perry facility in fiscal 2015, which ended June 30. 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. In fact, for the next two weeks after the prayer, the state's epic dry streak grew worse. Mr. Perdues appointment as chancellor would also limit his contributions to the campaign of David Perdue, his cousin and a former senator who is running against Gov. Kemp can use that to the Republican base and say, "Hey, you know, I have one of the most loyal Trump guys you know, and, you know, if I appointed him to a very important position here in state government and we know we've had a long-standing relationship. It is no surprise that these made up accusations are coming out in the final weeks of October. Purdue merged the voter-fraud myth with another racist fantasy, also fervently indulged by Trump, that undocumented immigrants burden taxpayers by siphoning welfare benefits. And then also there has been, through the congressional redistricting process, you know, because of some changes insome of the districts, you know, we've had two additional changes on the regents where two members are now no longer on the board and the governor has replaced another one of those members and all three of the members that he has replaced are people who have been, you know, very supportive of the governor in the past through campaign contributions and other ways. Perdue is poised within . Sonny Perdue's . Trump said Friday that he has directed Perdue to provide at least $16 billion in relief. [67], Regardless of whether the deal was intended to influence Perdue's actions, and if it was if it actually had any impact, the Perdue years were good ones for ADM. 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. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, a Democrat, later ran the University of California system, and former Gov. Eric Stirgus: Correct. Here to help us make sense of the implications of all this is Eric Stirgis, who covers higher education at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [3], In 2006, Perdue was re-elected to a second term in the 2006 Georgia gubernatorial election, winning nearly 58% of the vote. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. And you know, in saying, you know, this is why we, you know, we are concerned about Sonny Perdue becoming chancellor. 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. 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. 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. Eric Stirgus: You know, it's a pretty important job in the state of Georgia. Steve Fennessy: So how do you get a job to be chancellor? United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. Eric Stirgus: His name is Steve Wrigley and he retired. Mr. Perdue served two terms as governor from 2003 to 2011, and later became Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald J. Trump. (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. There were so many cabinet members who who left, and then he had to appoint new ones. @SecretarySonny (to use his folksy Twitter handle) stayed the course that characterized his entire time at UDSA. 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).

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