How Donald Trump’s business empire would thrive under second term

Former President Donald Trump will continue to grow his business empire if elected president, a legal expert has said.

Eric Chaffee, a law professor and white-collar crime expert at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, told Newsweek that the Republican nominee would use the White House to expand his business, just as he did during his first presidential term.

“Throughout his career, Donald Trump has relentlessly pursued the growth of his business empire,” Chaffee said. “His pursuit of wealth did not stop during his first administration, despite suggesting that he would divest his holdings to avoid conflicts of interests.”

Chaffee said Trump would use the opportunity, even though he has been banned from the New York property business for three years.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in February that Trump lied for years about his wealth on documents given to banks, insurers and others to make deals and secure loans. The judge ordered him and others to pay more than $350 million in penalties—a sum that has ballooned with interest to more than $489 million.

Engoron also banned Trump from holding any directorships for three years and his companies were banned from taking out loans with financial institutions.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were ordered to each pay more than $4 million and were banned from doing business in New York for two years.

Newsweek sought email comment from Trump’s attorney and from the Trump campaign on Thursday.

Chaffee said that, if elected president, Trump will find ways around Engoron’s ruling.

“Due to recent legal issues, he has had limitations placed upon his ability to run aspects of his businesses,” he said. “He has adapted and evolved to continue operating those businesses.

“He also has used numerous legal avenues to attempt to have the limitations upon his ability to run his business empire lifted. If he is elected to a second term, the public can expect more of the same. He will continue to pursue profit, and he will continue to use the legal avenues at his disposal to attempt to make a profit and protect himself while doing it.”

Chaffee said that Trump will view the White House as extra protection for his business empire.

“What will be new is that the office of president will afford him additional power and new legal arguments and tools to pursue his goal,” he said.

On July 1, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Trump broad immunity from prosecution and banned prosecutors from using presidential acts as evidence of crimes in private life. That means that White House conversations and phone calls would likely be protected from prosecution, even if they relate to Trump’s business transactions.

“Donald Trump prides himself on being a maverick politician, which makes it hard to predict precisely what he will do,” Chaffee said. “What is predictable is that he will continue to be a businessman, even while president, if he is elected to that office.”