Congress officially intervened following the professional golf merger that shocked everyone in the game on Tuesday.
The coming together of the PGA Tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the DP World Tour took everyone by surprise, including players who were unaware.
However, while Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did not believe the government’s concern was justified, others are taking action.
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Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Wall Street bonus taxes Thursday, January 14, 2010. (Bill Clark/List List/Getty Images)
Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., introduced the «Pro Sports Corporate Tax Exemption Act» and, in doing so, is pointing the finger directly at the new golf entity.
«Saudi Arabia cannot be allowed to ‘sports-wash’ its government’s horrific human rights abuses and the 2018 murder of American journalist Jamal Khashoggi in taking over the PGA [Tour]Garamendi said in a statement, via Yahoo Sports.
«PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan should be ashamed of the blatant hypocrisy and sea change that he and the rest of the PGA leadership demonstrated by allowing the sovereign wealth fund of a foreign government with a record of rights This merger goes against the PGA players who refused $100 million payments from the Saudi-backed LIV to take over an iconic American sports league and avoid paying a penny in federal corporate income tax. to align with the right side of history and human decency.»
MITCH MCCONNELL DOES NOT BELIEVE PGA TOUR MERGER WITH SAUDI-BACKED LIV GOLF HAS ‘GOVERNMENT CONCERNS’
However, Garamendi was not the only one on Capitol Hill calling attention to the merger.
“I was really grossed out by it. I thought the PGA was taking a principled position,» Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine told Fox News. «When I saw the news yesterday, I was really disappointed because it seems like they put aside all the human rights objections they had and just decided ‘okay, well, we can make more money if we go in a different direction.'»
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also referred to the landmark deal as «blatant sportswashing.»
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addresses the media during a press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 22, 2022 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
«I’m disappointed and even outraged by the PGA sellout,» he said. «The PGA is embarrassed, and its leadership, frankly, has lost all credibility, certainly all moral authority.»
While Garamendi pointed to Khashoggi’s assassination in 2018, the 9/11 terror attacks have also been the focus — specifically, Monahan’s comments about them in relation to his earlier stance against the Saudi-backed league.
9/11 Families United president Terry Strada said Tuesday after the merger announcement that «the leaders of the PGA Tour should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed.»
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks to the media as he previews THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on March 7, 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (David Cannon/Getty Images)
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While the PGA Tour said the goal of this new entity is to «unify the game of golf globally,» there are still many unanswered questions about the merger — enough questions to provoke government intervention.
Fox News’ Ethan Barton and Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report.