Garrett Perdue

Perdue son has court date

bniolet — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:18:19 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue's son Garrett Perdue has a court date next month on a charge of speeding in a school zone and driving with a revoked license.

Laura Leslie, your barkeep over at Isaac Hunter's Tavern has the full story.

The quick take: Perdue got pulled over for expired tags in 2008. There was a "miscommunication" about how much he owed, so when Perdue's family moved, Mecklenburg notices that he still owed money were not finding their way to his address. The court revoked his license.

Then, earlier this year, Perdue was pulled over for driving 42 in a 35, which he didn't realize was an active school zone. Perdue got a ticket for speeding in a school zone, and the officer informed him that his license was suspended.

Perdue says he paid his court costs and is "in the process of completing 20 hours of community service." He has been allowed to keep his license while he completes the community service.

Perdue: I trust Garrett not to lobby

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 26 May 2009 09:46:08 -0400

Gov. Beverly Perdue said she trusts her son.

Asked about Garrett Perdue's recent attendance at the "Rush the Growler" event in Raleigh, the governor said she does not think he is lobbying, according to a story on WRAL:

"I'm not aware of the specific events, but Garrett assures me he's not lobbying in Raleigh, and I take his word for it," she said in a statement.
Garrett Perdue declined to comment, but Womble Carlyle spokesman Russell Thomas said he wasn't lobbying and attended the event solely because he knew others there.
"Garrett attended a social event – nothing more, nothing less," Thomas said.

State Rep. Leo Daughtry, a Johnston County Republican, told the station that Garrett Perdue's attendance was not "good judgment."

Another Garrett sighting at state event

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 22 May 2009 12:23:22 -0400

Garrett Perdue has been spotted again.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue was seen Wednesday at the 19th annual "Rush the Growler" party sponsored by the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association.

The event is well attended by legislators, former legislators, staffers and lobbyists at the association's headquarters on Person Street behind the Governor's mansion.

What is "Rush the Growler"? During Prohibition, the "growler" was the jug or pail where they put the moonshine. When the person carrying the growler showed up at the party, it was rushed by the crowd.

Garrett Perdue is a lobbyist with Womble Carlyle, the state's largest law firm. Although he's been seen at the legislature and the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting, he and his firm have said he does not engage in state lobbying.

Garrett Perdue, economic developer?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:32:50 -0400

Garrett Perdue belongs to a group of economic developers.

Earlier this year, the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue joined the N.C. Economic Developers Association, a statewide association of site consultants, engineers and Chamber of Commerce types who help recruit business.

He was also listed among the attendees of the group's mid-winter conference, one of three it holds each year. Speakers included economics professor Mike Walden and Dan Gerlach, former budget advisor to Gov. Mike Easley.

Executive Director John Peterson said the group was founded in 1966 to offer training to economic developers and advocate for local, state and federal policies that would benefit the state's business climate.

Its roughly 600 members pay $200 a year to belong.

Much of the group's work focuses on state business. Its 2009 legislative agenda calls for support of three corporate incentives programs run by the N.C. Department of Commerce, funding community colleges, and lowering the state's sales taxes, among other things.

Peterson said the group is also concerned about a federal card-check bill.

Garrett Perdue's internship

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:34:08 -0400

Garrett Perdue interned for Zeb Alley.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue had a summer internship with one of the state's top lobbyists in 1998, when he was a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Alley said he met the younger Perdue through his mother, then a state senator and a friend of his. Garrett then approached him about an internship.

He recalled him as one of the better interns he's had.

"He worked on whatever I told him to work on — mostly grunt work. You know how that goes," he said. "I might have paid him, but I didn't pay him much."

He said Perdue "did very well" and seemed to be interested in politics.

"I haven't heard much from him since," he said.

Perdue didn't register in '98

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:00:53 -0400

Garrett Perdue has never registered as a lobbyist.

A search of state lobbying databases back to 1993 found no record of the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue having registered.

Two online biographies note that Perdue worked as an "associate" and a "government relations liaison" in 1998 for Zeb Alley, a Raleigh lobbyist who is regularly ranked among the five most effective in the state.

He was a senior in college at the time.

Liz Proctor, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Secretary of State's office, said that a person has to register as a lobbyist if they have a client and are paid for their work. She said she could not comment on any specific cases without knowing the details.

"It would be hard to say just based on a title whether or not they should be registered," she said.

State law allows some economic development lobbyists to register without their records being made public until the project is announced, but Proctor said no one is currently registered under that provision.

When Garrett worked for Bev

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:42:48 -0400

Garrett Perdue worked for his mom in 2001.

The son of Gov. Beverly Perdue went to work for the then-lieutenant governor, according to a Feb. 14, 2001, article in the N&O:

Another top state official, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, has turned to her son, Garrett, to help her with speech-writing and other office duties. But Garrett Perdue, 24, "is just helping out" before he heads to law school in the fall, and he does not work for the state, according to Perdue spokesman Derek J. Chernow. Whatever financial arrangement exists is "between him and his mom," Chernow said.

In the fall of 2001, he started law school at UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating in May of 2004.

Update: According to Beverly Perdue's 2001 mid-year campaign finance report, Garrett was paid $1,378.38 from campaign funds for his work.

Perdue not registered yet

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:18:19 -0400

Garrett Perdue is not registered as a federal lobbyist.

But lobbying law experts say he doesn't have to — until he has a client.

Under federal law, people who lobby Congress must register with the House Office of the Clerk and the Senate Office of Public Records within 45 days of starting work on behalf of a client.

Neither has a record of Garrett Perdue, son of Gov. Beverly Perdue and a lobbyist with the white-shoe law firm Womble Carlyle.

But Massie Ritsch, a spokesman for the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, said that could mean Perdue does not have any federal clients.

"Unless you have someone you're representing, there's no obligation to register as a lobbyist," he said.

Perdue, who was hired on Feb. 16, will have worked for Womble Carlyle for 45 days tomorrow.

Seven of the state's eight Democratic Congressmen say they have not heard from Perdue.

Betts on Garrett Perdue

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:06:58 -0400

Jack Betts was bullish on Garrett Perdue in 2007.

In an Oct. 7 piece, the Charlotte Observer columnist said the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue did well when introducing her at the formal kickoff of her campaign.

"The younger Perdue has presence, poise, timing and wit that Bev Perdue ought to put to good use on the campaign trail between now and next spring, when she hopes to become the Democratic Party's nominee in the May 6 primary election," he wrote.

He wrote that Garrett Perdue was "a first-rate speaker" who "might just have a glowing political future."

Previously: Perdue hired as federal lobbyist, spotted at legislature and state political event, members of Congress haven't heard from him.

Garrett Perdue and Congress

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:50:52 -0400

How much has Garrett Perdue lobbied Congress?

Although his job description mentions Congressional lobbying, the son of Gov. Beverly Perdue is not registered as a federal lobbyist for any clients.

In addition, all eight Democratic members of the state's delegation say they have not heard from him yet:

Rep. David Price: "The office does not have a record of a meeting with Garrett Perdue," said spokesman Phil Feagan.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield: "As far as we can tell, Garrett Perdue has not lobbied Butterfield's office," said spokesman Ken Willis.

Rep. Larry Kissell: "Garrett Perdue has not called or contacted any of our people," said spokeswoman Brianna Atkins.

Rep. Mike McIntyre: "No contact from Garrett Perdue has been made to our office that I'm aware of," said spokesman Dean Mitchell.

Rep. Bob Etheridge: "Rep. Etheridge's office does not have a record of Garrett Perdue contacting the office for a meeting," said spokeswoman Joanne Peters.

Rep. Heath Shuler: "As far as everyone in my office knows, we have not had any contact with Garrett Perdue. I actually had to tell a few people who he was," said spokesman Andrew Whalen.

Update: Rep. Mel Watt: "To our knowledge, (Watt's) never spoken with the guy," said spokesman Corey Little.

Second Update: Rep. Brad Miller: "He hasn't come by the Congressman's office yet, but the Congressmanhas known him for some time and would welcome him," said spokeswoman LuAnn Canipe.