In a profanity-filled January 2018 meeting with employees, Bart Reagor, CEO of Reagor Dykes Auto Group, said he paid $25 million to an undisclosed entity following an inventory floor plan issue in March of 2017 - months before Ford Motor Credit Co. sued the auto group for over $40 million for allegedly mishandling its floor plan, among other claims.

“I had a situation last year," Reagor said in an audio recording of the meeting provided by a former employee, "early in the year in 2017, where, this is how big we are in the Reagor Dykes Auto Group. We had an audit on our floor plan, and we had some morons not do a very good job with taking care of their inventory, and I was faced with a challenge in March of last year where I had to come up with $25 million in four days. You know, that’s some **** right there. I didn’t just have it sitting around."

In the car industry, floor plan usually refers to inventory secured by a dealership through lines of credit, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Audio from the recording is available here.

He again brought up the $25 million payoff later in the conference, while talking about how he increased his net worth and what employees needed to do to be a valuable part of "the team."

"Do you think I’m going to let some ******* ********* **** this up for me? You’ll be fish bait, ****** ******. I’m serious. I’m not ******* around," Reagor said. "Do you think I got rattled easily when I had to come up with $25 million in four days? I don’t get rattled easily, and I never stop pursuing a threat until it’s eliminated."

Reagor Dykes' legal counsel and principals were given the opportunity to listen to this audio and provide comment. Citing pending litigation, all RDAG parties, when reached for comment this week, declined to comment to A-J Media for this story.

Reagor has claimed lack of knowledge or denied wrongdoing in court documents related to the Ford Motor Credit Co. federal lawsuit, and in subsequent bankruptcy filings. Six Reagor-Dykes entities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 1.

There is no indication the March 2017 incident is connected to the current legal proceedings, but Reagor's comments suggest there have been issues in the past.

Texas Tech School of Law Professor Sally McDonald Henry, who specializes in bankruptcy law and related litigation, said the portion of the recording where Reagor first mentions the $25 million could impact the ongoing legal proceedings.

"Absent an explanation," Henry said, "this tape could tilt the playing field in the bankruptcy case and change people's perception of the situation."

The audio was recorded by a former employee during a regularly scheduled weekly meeting at the end of January of this year. The source estimated hundreds of Reagor Dykes employees attended the meeting through video teleconference. Other former employees who attended the meeting confirmed the validity of the audio.

The meeting took place the day after a "Beast Feast" event, which Reagor repeatedly mentions. The celebratory dinner was for top salespeople at the end of measured sales periods throughout the year.

The employee said they began recording meetings because they were uncomfortable with what they described as a hostile work environment.

"If you're a *******, and you're stupid and you're weak, then get the **** out of here. Because you ain't got a place here," Reagor said. "I don't know, we may need somebody to wash some more cars."

"Cry your way to the weak zone," Reagor said toward the end of the meeting. "Cry your way to the loser zone. You know, I’ve sat with you, ******* listened to your ******* weak *** ****. But how many times have y’all heard me crying? I can’t be crying because I got to take care of a lot of ******* cry babies. ****, if I started crying, all hell would break loose. Look, somebody’s gotta be strong. Somebody’s gotta be consistent, and somebody’s got to be a ******* leader. I chose me."

During the meeting, Reagor praises the employees who were doing well and attended the Beast Feast. He stressed that teams need to focus on providing the highest level of customer service, making sure every customer leaves satisfied. Teams also need to call out employees not maintaining Reagor's standards, he said.

"If you're here, and you make a living here, and you're invested here, and you're committed here, we got to stick together to grow this company by eliminating damaging people," Reagor said.

Reagor said it takes qualities learned in childhood to be a good salesperson - kindness, honesty and responsibility.

"Those are not common qualities that most people have," he said. "I feel like I'm a rare individual because I'm respectful, I work hard and I take good care of people."

Reagor concluded: "Come on up to the millionaire zone. Come on up to the flying jet flying, private jet flown, gator wearing, Rolex wearing club. Come on up. It’s a choice you got to make. Or you can cry your way to sleep with all the other ******* losers. Have a good day."