Two of LIV Golf’s eight events in its inaugural season were held on golf courses owned by Donald Trump. With LIV Golf’s direct links to Saudi Arabia and recently revealed details about the circuit’s funding, one group is calling for the former president to be investigated.
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a group created by supporters of slain journalist Jama Khashoggi, is calling on Congress and the Justice Department to investigate the “disturbing facts and circumstances” surrounding Trump’s ties to LIV Golf.
LIV Golf is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, headed by the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The United States has assumed Salman endorsed the killing of Khashoggi in 2018.
READ: LIV GOLF WANTS ‘INTELLIGENCE FILE’ ON FAMILIES OF 9/11 VICTIMS SO SAUDIS CAN SPY ON THEM, LAWSUIT ALLEGES
During a court proceeding on January 13, it was revealed that the Saudi Public Investment Fund owns 93% of LIV and pays 100% of the costs associated with its events.
This would then mean that the public fund and Salman paid Trump directly for hosting two LIV Golf events in 2022.
“The revelation that a fund controlled by the Crown Prince MBS actually owns almost all of LIV Golf means that MBS has been paying unknown millions to Donald Trump for the past two years, through their corporate hedges for each other,” Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of DAWN, told the kansas city star.
While it’s clear that DAWN doesn’t like the fact that the Saudis paid Trump money to host a golf tournament on the golf courses he owns, it seems his biggest complaint is the fact that he plans to run for president in 2024.
“If Trump or his agents discussed any deal with LIV Golf or PIF while Trump was still in office, a criminal investigation would also be necessary because federal law strictly prohibits these types of business dealings by federal officials sitting with foreign governments,” Whitson said. .
“Given that Trump also plans to run for president again, his business ties to Mohammed bin Salman are a national security emergency.”
Double standards and the witch hunt continue
Two things can be true at once, believe it or not.
Saudi Arabia has a deplorable human rights record and Salman must be held accountable for the alleged murder of Khashoggi and other disgusting actions.
However, Donald Trump, just like any other American, can do business however he sees fit, especially when it comes to businesses he owns and operates.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund has also invested in companies like Facebook, Disney, Starbucks and is the main owner of Newcastle United in the Premier League, for what it’s worth.
The situation between LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, the 9/11 families and the golf world in general is ugly and will continue to be so until some sort of court order is resolved.
READ: TIGER WOODS CHARGED WITH ‘INTENTIONALLY EVAIDING’ CITATION LINKED TO LIV GOLF FIVE TIMES
That said, an investigation into Trump’s business dealings involving golf courses he owns looks like another political witch hunt that will go nowhere.
But let’s remember that it’s okay, even encouraging, to criticize Trump’s business activities, but it’s unacceptable to question Nancy Pelosi’s insider trading or Ukraine paying Hunter Biden millions based solely on his last name.
Those three things are not related to each other at all, but again they are absolutely given only one of the three scenarios will be discussed by the mainstream media and the other two will only be discussed by Americans who still possess common sense.
Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris