Story highlights Errol Louis: Investigations into fraud repeatedly vanished in connection with Trump contributions to prosecutors

Louis: Giuliani, when US attorney, dropped money-laundering probe of Trump, who later raised $41,000 for him

Louis: What steps, if any, would a President Trump take to end system that appears to let businessmen pay to play?

Errol Louis is the host of "Inside City Hall," a nightly political show on NY1, a New York all-news channel. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) The controversy over Donald Trump's donation to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi underscores the high number of ethical missteps on Trump's record -- problems that, in some cases, vanished in connection with Trump making political contributions to the prosecutors pursuing him

The Bondi case is a reminder that Trump, who is fond of calling his Democratic opponent "Crooked Hillary" Clinton, has a batch of serious ethics issues of his own.

Like many of Trump's problems, the Bondi flap is an outgrowth of the ill-fated Trump University, a now-shuttered operation that claimed to teach real estate secrets to students. The for-profit company has drawn condemnation, fines and lawsuits from coast to coast.

JUST WATCHED NYT: Trump donation violations decades long Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH NYT: Trump donation violations decades long 03:08

In addition to suits filed by former students who claim they were ripped off, Trump drew the attention of attorneys general in Texas, Florida and New York who investigated whether the gap between what the school promised and what it delivered constituted fraud.

But only one state, New York, has advanced its prosecution to the point of a trial, expected to take place after Election Day.