LIV Golf alleges PGA Tour conspired with 9/11 victim groups to attack them
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The launch of LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia, in the U.S. earlier this year was met with criticism from politicians and the families of 9/11 victims. Critics of LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia, claimed that the new golf circuit was an attempt to use a popular sport to improve the country’s reputation, despite its history of brutality and allegations of involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
In a new court filing, LIV Golf has accused the PGA Tour, its rival, of secretly coordinating much of the backlash against it. LIV Golf claimed that the PGA Tour hired a Washington, D.C. public relations firm to direct and fund public protests, defamatory advertising, and other tactics aimed at generating anti-Saudi sentiment in order to maintain its monopoly. These allegations were made in a filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, which was made public on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal reports that based on the court filings, the PGA Tour hired Clout Public Affairs LLC, a Washington public relations firm, to front its campaign against LIV Golf. The filing claims that the PGA Tour instructed Clout to conceal its role in the campaign and that the PGA Tour was aware that it would be damaging to be publicly associated with a campaign linking LIV Golf to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. As a result, the PGA Tour hid behind Clout to avoid damaging its reputation.
Also read:- 9/11 survivors PLEAD a meeting with LIV Golf pros to educate them on “DEATH GOLF”
Peace does not look like an option for LIV Golf and the PGA Tour
According to the court filing, LIV Golf alleges that the PGA Tour and Clout were behind the protests by the families of 9/11 victims at LIV Golf tournaments, and likely funded these protests as well. This included organizing tax-exempt organizations to provide resources for the protest effort. These protests began with the first LIV Golf tournament in the U.S. in June and have attracted significant media attention and support from politicians. The PGA Tour did not have an immediate response to these allegations, while Clout’s president, David Polyansky, acknowledged that the firm was representing the PGA Tour and said that it was proud to do so.
LIV Golf is seeking information from Clout about its communications with the groups 9/11 Justice and 9/11 Families United, as well as its communications with the PGA Tour about those groups. These groups did not immediately respond to inquiries about the allegations made in the court filing. Terry Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families United, said that the accusations were outrageous and that neither he nor 9/11 Families United had accepted any money from the PGA Tour or anyone connected to golf. He also said that he was disgusted but not surprised to see the Saudis attacking the families of 9/11 victims. 9/11 Justice did not immediately respond to inquiries about the allegations.
LIV Golf claims that some of the backlashes against it were not entirely organic, and was secretly orchestrated by the PGA Tour or agents working on its behalf as part of what it called an “astroturf” campaign. The legal filing claims that the PGA Tour launched this campaign not to help 9/11 families, but to support its campaign against LIV Golf. It also accuses the PGA Tour of citing anti-Saudi sentiment in public settings and in its court battle with LIV Golf, while concealing the fact that the PGA Tour and Clout were working to generate this sentiment.
Also read:- Why Tiger Woods wants Greg Norman to leave LIV Golf, and how it will help PGA?
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Prasenjeet Singh
(251 Articles Published)