it goes so much beyond that though.
Yes it wrong and fraud to lie about 'square footage' or 'fudge numbers', and 'lots of people and businesses do that to a lesser degree', but as the Judge cites , and i reposted above, Trump in numerous instances just created fantasy filings to get loans.
Back in the 80's i bought a single lot of speculative land in an area of Florida that had the potential to boom, if development rights went in that direction or bust if that area was never zoned for development. I paid $8000 for the gamble. I sold that land 10 years later for $12000 as the development rights were never granted in the way that would allow it to boom.
What Trump would do, time and again, if he owned that land I bought, is tell the bank it was valued at the highest speculative value one could attach to it, as if the development rights were granted, when he knew they were not. He would tell the bank he already developed it and all costs were paid and it was worth $2MM, based on his estimation of it being worth that, if the rights came thru. That is EXACTLY what he did with 7 Springs above.
So to even associate Trumps level of fraud, as a worse version of the more run of the mill 'fudging' others do is very wrong.
Trump is the full meal deal when it comes to fraud. His frauds are at every level and many levels most fraudsters refuse to go as they know the penalty will not just be a fine and may be jail time.