A smart criminal doesn’t run for office where everything he does is under a spot light.
Trump isn’t a smart criminal. He’s always bragged about the crimes he commits and then he buys his way out of them.
Trump has also always used the courts to attack and punish anyone stupid enough to trust him in a business deal. He refused to pay his subtrades until nobody would work with him.
So he started scamming up and coming subtrades. He offered them the “chance” to break into the Big Leagues of luxury construction. 15% of all progress invoices are held back until the project is complete and certified by both the Architect and the Building Inspectors having jurisdiction.
Trades people have to have deep pockets to wait up to 2 years for their profit - all of which rests in that 15%. They are required to pay for all their labour and materials PRIOR to issuing the request for a progress draw.
Trump waited until the project was complete and certified and then refused to pay the 15%. The subtrades he offered to help get into the big leagues, didn’t have deep pockets. They had to borrow money, put a mortgage on their home to do this job. They had turned down other work for this project.
Trump offered 50 cents on the dollar. One man who accepted that offer, went to pick up his check and it had been reduced to 25 cents on the dollar. There were bankruptcies, and at least one suicide. Many sued for what they were owed.
Trump always claimed that their work was “inferior” but it passed inspection by the architect and the various municipal inspectors, as well as Trump’s own project managers.
If they sued and won, Trump Appealed every verdict until he ran out of Appeals. The same tactics he used in the state and federal charges he faced - lawfare.
Everyone in the construction world watched Trump and his sleazy business tactics. 7 bankruptcies, with Trump bragging about how much money he was making while everyone who did business with him went broke.