Donald Trump’s election has likely given a massive lifeline to Deutsche Bank, the German financial firm that has been rocked recently by rumors that they would have to pay a $14 billion fine to the Justice Department over crisis-related mortgage abuses. That money is unlikely to ever be imposed, now that one of Deutsche Bank’s biggest borrowers – Trump – will soon be sitting in the White House.

While Deutsche Bank has vowed repeatedly to negotiate over the proposed fine, there’s simply no good reason for Deutsche Bank to agree to DOJ’s terms now.  Trump owes Deutsche Bank a lot of money, and his debt with Deutsche is negotiable in its own right, giving each side plenty of incentive to make a deal. Deutsche could get a free pass on its legal cases – of which the mortgage securities fraud is just one – while Trump could get better terms for his debts.

That conflict of interest is one of the innumerable ones facing Trump as he leaves his life of grifting behind and becomes the nation’s chief executive. While the Justice Department is nominally independent of the White House, I had to stop writing this sentence because of constant laughing. Trump could easily move to protect his personal investments by aiding his business partner Deutsche Bank.

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