Someone was PAID to find Chris Kay to run NYRA!!!

Times Union
The New York Racing Association paid a search firm $130,060 to come up with the winning candidate for chief executive officer. Once NYRA's board acted on that recommendation and hired Christopher Kay, the payments didn't stop.


According to people familiar with the arrangement NYRA made with RSR Partners, a managing partner with the headhunting firm that found Kay was retained for another $75,000 to "mentor" the new CEO about the world of sports management.

Kay bonded with the adviser, lawyer John Keitt, to the point that Kay came very close to hiring him as NYRA's next chief counsel. But once the Cuomo administration learned of the plan, state officials raised concerns about the optics and suggested that Chairman David Skorton unwind the proposal. Keitt backed out while this push and pull was going on, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Keitt, a former top lawyer for the Associated Press, did not take calls from a reporter. His colleague at RSR, Joseph Bailey, said the firm never talks about its relationships with clients. NYRA spokesman Eric Wing also would not talk about the matter.

NYRA partially granted a Freedom of Information Law request for information about RSR's fees and reports. The limited information provided shows that the Greenwich, Conn.-based RSR received three payments in April and May for its search work, plus some expenses. Not included in the documents provided under FOIL was any mention of the additional deal with Keitt for his mentoring services — a type of consulting known as "onboarding."