Seven weeks after President Trump selected Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary, the White House formally transmitted the nomination to the Senate, opening the way for the long-awaited confirmation hearing for the former Georgia governor who faces minimal opposition so far. He could be in office in April, based on the Senate’s handling of other cabinet nominees.
The first Republican elected governor of Georgia since Reconstruction, Perdue, a veterinarian by training and a businessman for years, listed assets from $11 million-$47 million on his financial disclosure report and liabilities of $1.3 million-$2.6 million. Perdue told the USDA ethics office that he would restructure two trusts that control Perdue Business Holdings, which holds the bulk of his assets, so that he and his wife do not benefit from them, and said that he “will not participate” in actions that would affect them.
He listed AGrowStar LLC, a grain merchandising company, as his largest asset, worth $5 million-$11 million. Three other assets were listed as worth at least $1 million: Perdue Inc., a trucking company; Houston Fertilizer and Grain Co., which holds, manages and rents commercial real estate in three Georgia cities; ProAg Products LLC, a grain market trading company, and a note from Perdue Family Wealth Preservation Trust, one of the trusts that will be restructured.
Traditionally, the Agriculture Committee moves quickly on nominees for agriculture secretary — Tom Vilsack was in the witness chair at his confirmation hearing less than a week after his paperwork arrived, said a committee staff worker. There are variables that can stretch out the timing, such as the Senate schedule — it leaves Wednesday for a four-day break — the nominee’s availability and the wishes of committee leaders. Because Perdue’s papers arrived at the end of the work week, a date for a hearing has yet to be decided.
Some of Trump’s cabinet nominations were quickly confirmed, particularly his national security team in the first days of the administration. Others have taken longer. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was confirmed as Energy secretary 41 days after the Senate received his nomination. For EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, a polarizing nominee, the process took 28 days. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was confirmed 24 days after his papers were delivered, and Housing Secretary Ben Carson after 41 days.
For other nominees, the process is ongoing. Robert Lighthizer was nominated on Jan. 20 and will go to his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad was nominated on Trump’s first day in office to become U.S. ambassador to China and expects a confirmation hearing during the first week of April and Senate confirmation as early as May.
Perdue was the last of Trump’s cabinet nominees, formally announced the day before the inauguration. The transition official aiding Perdue said the FBI was busy checking the earlier nominees so Perdue had to wait for clearance. “There was nothing more than that,” she said.
Last week, the Environmental Working Group accused Perdue of ethical lapses “that raise troubling questions about his fitness to run the department.” The complaints ranged from accepting gifts from lobbyists to behind-the-scenes involvement in a land purchase and his signing of a sweeping tax law with a provision that reduced taxes on land swaps, including one by Perdue, that crossed the state border. The Trump team says partisan politics was the motivating factor in many of the complaints.
To read Perdue’s financial disclosure report, click here.
To read Perdue’s ethics agreement, click here.