Senator Demands Saudi PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan Testify, Hand Over Records: Good Luck

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During the first U.S. Senate hearing about the PGA Tour's proposed merger with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) we only heard one side of the story as the two people to testify were Tour officials Jimmy Dunne and Ron Price. Senator Richard Blumenthal wouldn't like that to be the case the next time around, he wants to hear from the PIF governor himself, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

Al-Rumayyan has explained that he would be an "inappropriate witness" for the investigation into the PGA Tour's dealings and plans with Saudi Arabia. It's no secret Al-Rumayyan doesn't want to testify, nor does he believe it necessary, but the Democratic Senator out of Connecticut disagrees.

READ: SAUDI PIF NOT-SO-SUBTLY TRIED TO GAIN YASIR AL-RUMAYYAN AN AUGUSTA NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP AS PART OF MERGER

Sen. Blumenthal, the chair of the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee, has implemented the go-to tactic by government officials when they want something, he's released a letter addressed to Al-Rumayyan.

"The suggestion that your role as a Saudi Foreign Minister shields you from testifying about PIF’s commercial activities is deeply troubling and unsupported as a legal matter," Blumenthal wrote in the letter. He also noted that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California denied Al-Rumayyan’s claim that he has a right of privacy due to his "minister" status with Saudi Arabia.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi's PIF, has been summoned by Richard Blumenthal to testify, which seems like a tall ask. (Photo by Luke Walker/WME IMG/WME IMG via Getty Images)

Al-Rumayyan previously told Sen. Blumenthal he wouldn't be testifying on the matter due to him being "bound by the Kingdom’s laws regarding the confidentiality of certain information."

The PGA Tour's shared framework about the proposed merger with the Saudi PIF explains that it will still be in control of professional golf, but Sen. Blumenthal and others are skeptical about that idea given Saudi now has a seat at the table and a PIF worth an estimated $700 billion.

"PIF cannot have it both ways: if it wants to engage with the United States commercially, it must be subject to United States law and oversight. That oversight includes this Subcommittee’s inquiry," Blumenthal wrote in the letter.

Sen. Blumenthal has also demanded to see the "records regarding PIF's current and planned commercial activity in the U.S."

It's hard to imagine the Saudi government abiding by that request, but time will tell.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.