NYT, EWG cite ethics questions

White House slowness in sending the Senate Agriculture Committee the nomination papers for Sonny Perdue, the former Georgia Republican governor who is President Donald Trump’s nominee for Agriculture secretary, has begun to raise concerns about whether his background check is turning up ethical problems.

The New York Times on Wednesday detailed those concerns about his governorship, and the Environmental Working Group also issued a report.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall, also a Georgian, defended Perdue to the Times. Neither the Times nor EWG focused on Perdue’s private business ventures since he left the governorship in 2011, and it is those post-governorship activities that are believed to be the focus of the Trump administration’s background check.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that the delay has not been caused by Democrats, and Roll Call pointed out that Perdue is one of four Cabinet nominees not yet confirmed.

–The Hagstrom Report