in the pay of meaning

• Receiving payment from in return for services, used esp in a sinister sense

• pay:    Verb: pay (paid)&n ...
• pay for:    Verb: pay for  ...
• pay in:    pay sth in • pay i ...

Examples

1. he was accused of having been in the pay of pougatcheff.
2. fidel's view of dissenters was uncomplicated : all were “ mercenaries ”, in the pay of the united states
3. Some accused me of being in the pay of the California vintners.
4. Alpirez was reportedly in the pay of the CIA at the time.
5. Berwick was a successful general in the pay of Louis XIV of France.