Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) discussed the Senate‘s investigation into the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, saying there is a “real risk” with the proposed agreement.
Blumenthal said the aim of the Senate’s probe seeks to understand how and why the deal came to be—following its announcement last week—while speaking on CBS News’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
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“The permanent subcommittee on investigations, that I chair, is essentially trying to uncover the facts about what went into this deal, who was behind it, and whether there was any improper conduct or wrongdoing and what the structure and governance will be of the entity going forward. There are very, very few details,” Blumenthal continued.
The agreement announced earlier this month between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund will create a new, unnamed, for-profit entity that will combine the commercial businesses of the three. The agreement also maintains PGA Tour Inc., a tax-exempt organization, will remain in place and will retain “administrative oversight of events for those assets contributed by the PGA TOUR, including the sanctioning of events.”
The Connecticut Democrat then accused the country of using sport investment to repair its image, commonly referred to as “sports-washing.” Blumenthal followed-up with several accusations about actions the Saudi government has allegedly been involved in.
“Remember, what we have here is essentially a repressive, autocratic foreign government, taking control over an iconic, cherished, American institution, for the clear purpose of cleansing its public image. The Saudis have very been explicit, that they have an objective here,” Blumenthal said.
“They’ve been in numerous maligned activities antithetical to American interest and values, killing Jamal Khashoggi, as you mentioned, as well as other journalists, torturing and imprisoning dissidents and critics, and supporting anti-democratic activities, even terrorist activities, like 9/11, as well as the internal war in Yemen. So, There’s a real risk to American interests in the Saudis taking over this American institution. We want to get to the bottom of it,” Blumenthal continued.
Several groups, including 9/11 victims groups, have long believed the Saudi Arabian government had a larger role in the terrorist attacks than previously claimed. The Saudi Arabian government has maintained that any connections to the hijackers are purely coincidental.
Blumenthal said that subpoenas are on the table, with the possibility of a hearing coming “within weeks.” He also said the PGA and LIV deal has factors involving national security.
“I think there are national security implications to this deal. Anytime there is foreign influence by a repressive regime over a central American institution, there is a security risk. And remember, this institution plays a central role in our society, the players are ambassadors and role models, and there are economic implications, the Travelers tournament beginning this week is going to have an economic impact on local economies in Connecticut in the tens of millions of dollars,” Blumenthal added.
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The Justice Department is also reportedly scrutinizing the announced deal to merge the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. When asked by the Washington Examiner if an investigation had been opened into the deal, the DOJ declined to comment.
LIV Golf was one of Saudi Arabia’s many investments in sports, with the PGA Tour reportedly coming to the table to merge with the upstart league due to its inability to compete with the seemingly endless money LIV had access to, with a PGA spokesperson calling that explanation an “oversimplification.”
