DeSantis PAC Adviser and Trump Participate in Saudi-Backed Golf Tournament

A senior adviser for a Ron DeSantis super PAC and Donald Trump golfed at a tournament backed by the company that runs the controversial LIV tour, ABC News reported.

The DeSantis adviser, Phil Cox, is also co-founder of the consulting group GP3, which recently signed a deal with LIV, a Saudi-owned company, with Cox as one of the consultants working on the account, according to the New York Times.

LIV is a golf tour created to challenge the PGA Tour, funded by the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and has been controversial since its inception. Many say it is an attempt by the government of Saudi Arabia to distract from its human rights violations.

Despite the Saudi fund claiming it is just an investor in the tour, a federal judge ruled in February that it is "the moving force behind the founding, funding, oversight and operation of LIV."

Sources have told ABC that Cox’s relationship with LIV is a source of contention in DeSantis’ circle.

Trump has partnered with LIV in the past, hosting a number of their tournaments at golf clubs he owns, including Thursday’s tournament, which was held at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.