Trump has a long history of hiring contractors, using their services, and then not paying them under the pretext that he’s not satisfied with their services. As USA Today reported in June, Trump has pulled this crude grift hundreds of times on everyone from cabinet-builders to dishwashers, plumbers, painters, and lawyers. And now, Republicans are learning that just because he’s a presidential nominee doesn’t mean that he’ll be above board in his business dealings.
As The Washington Post reports, the Trump campaign is refusing to pay pollster Tony Fabrizio $766,756.67 in debt. Fabrizio is a well-regarded Republican pollster, but seems to have run into trouble when he gave Trump unwelcome news, notably that the attack on the family of an American solider killed in Iraq was politically costly. Also, Fabrizio might be persona non grata in the Trump campaign because he had been brought aboard by former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was fired in August. But the lesson from this is clear: Anyone provided services to Trump’s campaign should ask to be paid in advance, preferably in cash or certified money orders.