Emails reveal Multi-Billion Dollar Deal
Emails between Kelley and Adam Victor, president and CEO of TransGas Development Systems appear to confirm the New York businessman’s claim that Kelley wanted an $80 million fee for brokering a transaction between his company and Korea.
After being introduced by Kelly’s friend Don Phillips at the Republican National Convention in Tampa in August, Phillips suggested that Kelley and Victor should meet to discuss a deal for a coal gasification plant in South Korea. Phillips claimed that Kelley said that Victor tried to “proposition” her “almost immediately,” and said he had to cajole her into flying to New York for a second meeting with Victor. After that meeting Kelley said that she was no longer interested in pursuing the deal. According to Phillips, she said, “As a result of my personal investigations and business intelligence this is just not going anywhere, Don, and you just don’t want to associate with this guy.”
However, according to the emails Kelley was pushing hard to set up another meeting with Victor as soon as possible. “My husband is in agreement with me canceling our 13th Anniversary dinner plans,” said Kelley in an email to a Victor employee. “Please call me.” Victor denies propositioning Kelley and claims she continued pushing for the deal after their meeting in New York.
On September 5, as she flew home following the meeting she emailed:
Adam, I’m on my flight. It was wonderful to meet with you. I was quite impressed learning about the project to say the least. I’m emailing around some contacts, calling in favors, and totally anxious to take this to the next step. It has HUGE potential. It just needs a catalyst like me. 🙂
The next day she emailed Victor again, bringing up her Korean contacts as well as the subject of her fee:
I know how to present this to the top leaders in Korea. … Can you send me an agreement with my profit for facilitating the deal? I’m truly looking forward to bringing this concept into fruition.
On September 10 she emailed again:
I’m in Honolulu with the Korean delegation from Seoul. Any update with an agreement for my commission?” Victor responded, asking Kelley to tell him her “normal” fee. Kelley answered, “My fee to bring this to fruition will be 2%. I look forward to a formal agreement and moving forward.
Victor told ABC News the coal gasification plants under discussion were worth $4 billion, which means two percent would amount to an $80 million fee, a fee he found ridiculous. He rejected the proposal.
The suggested fee you have asked for is so out of market, I have no way of working out any acceptable deal with you. You should not contact anyone on our behalf.
After that, Kelley emailed Victor once more, writing, “If you have an alternate proposal, I’d be interested in hearing it.”
