Financially beleaguered New York City tycoon Donald Trump and ex-wife Ivana’s marital split may have cost a Houston private investigator $5,394.90.
Rob Kimmons, owner of Kimmons Investigative Services Inc., claims in a lawsuit Donald Trump failed to pay him for keeping an eye on another Houston private investigator, retained by Ivana to monitor her then husband.
“It just shows you – who knows who really has wealth?” said Kimmons, whose company was tracking Clyde Wilson and his staff as they monitored Donald Trump’s relations with model Marla Maples.
“We work so many cases involving the cream of the crop, who you would think were financially set for life, and the next thing you know, they’re in bankruptcy.”
The Trumps were divorced in December, but distribution of property and the validity of any pre-and post-marital agreement is expected to be settled in an April 11 trial.
Kimmons said Thursday his agency was hired by Trump last summer but has not received a penny for three weeks of work.
His company stopped the investigation, Kimmons said, because Trump failed to deliver a retainer fee as promised. Trump representative’s only explanation was that lawyers hadn’t been paid either, and they would try to get me my money,” Kimmons said, “After that they avoided my phone calls.”
Judd Burnstein, a New York City attorney who represents Trump said, “Our defense will be that services performed were worthless.”
But, Kimmons said he was never given any indication Trump was unhappy with the investigation.
His firm learned that Wilson had confirmed that Trump had an affair with Maples and that his organization was making payments to her.
Wilson said Thursday he uncovered the payments and information at a time Trump denied any such relations. The National Enquirer published his findings, he said, and Kimmons probably verified the information from the Enquirer.
Kimmons said he has never read the Enquirer.
He and Wilson do agree on one thing: They do not get along with each other.
By Jerry Urban, Houston Chronicle, Feb 15, 1991