Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has sent a letter to President Biden raising concerns about the timing of a Department of Justice investigation into the PGA ahead of his visit to Saudi Arabia.
The investigation into whether the PGA is violating antitrust law comes as the professional golfers’ association is in a high-profile battle over top players with LIV, a Saudi-backed golf tour.
Cornyn raised concerns that the Biden Justice Department is making its investigation into the PGA public just in time to ingratiate Biden with Saudi leaders.
The president is expected to ask Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to help ease gas prices in the United States.
“This investigation, according to news reports, is focused on the PGA Tour’s effect on a Saudi Arabian-funded enterprise, LIV Golf. On Monday, July 11, 2022, the week you traveled to Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported that your administration had sent inquiries regarding the PGA Tour’s actions as they relate to LIV Golf,” Cornyn wrote in a letter to the president.
The PGA has put heavy pressure on tour pros not to play for LIV, which has offered much bigger tournament purses and even guaranteed generous paydays for players who finish at the bottom of the standings.
The PGA Tour last month suspended 17 players who participated in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
PGA commissioner Jay Monahan said pros who played LIV events now “can’t demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities and platform” as those who remained exclusively loyal to the PGA.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that players’ agents were contacted by investigators with the Department of Justice’s antitrust division, who wanted to know about the PGA’s bylaws and recent PGA actions related to participation in the LIV tour.
Cornyn wants to know whether members of Justice’s antitrust division or other members of the administration played a role in making the investigation public and whether administration officials had contact with the Saudi government about the investigation.
“I want to note the extensiveness of Saudi Arabian influence on American life. This investigation into the private sector has potential implications both for our nation’s foreign policy and for transparency at home,” Cornyn wrote Biden.
“Saudi Arabia has a history of surreptitious and at times malign behavior in its attempts to influence American public policy and freedom of speech in our own country,” he wrote.