Pollster Tony Fabrizio is claiming that the Donald Trump campaign is stiffing him on a bill for his polling work of $767,000, the Daily Beast reports.
The latest financial disclosures from the Trump campaign show Fabrizio's disputed amount.
Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, told Fabrizio that his focus groups were not necessary, New York Magazine reported.
"'I can tell from the applause what's working,'" Kushner said, according to a source of the magazine.
The magazine also reported that Trump had rejected adds that tested well in Fabrizio's focus groups. The Republican nominee told his campaign, "I know what works."
Trump has been known for stiffing his contractors. USA Today reported at length about numerous contractors who say Trump has not payed them over the years while developing properties, highlighting how he has faced over 3,500 lawsuits from people who have not received payment from Trump or his companies.
Trump himself has admitted that his business philosophy has been to withhold payment if he is not satisfied with the services rendered.
"Let's say that they do a job that's not good, or a job that they didn't finish, or a job that was way late. I'll deduct from their contract, absolutely," Trump told USA Today. "That's what the country should be doing."
Fabrizio's contested debt is unusual because it is common practice for political campaigns to pay unsettled debts after the election, the Daily Beast noted.
"The fact that they're listing it as a contested debt may mean they're getting pressure from the vendor to pay up, and the vendor's next step may be to sue the campaign if they don't reach a settlement," Lawerence Noble, general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, told the Daily Beast.