I would ask several questions...did they do the 20 refinance situations with the same bank? How did they report continually with the IRS, or did they use some element of confusion to make them think it was two different mortgages at the same time?
Who was making the payments? Joe/Jill or Hunter?
If Joe was doing this....how many other Senators were doing the same thing (like Bernie)?
Is it possible that Jill was accomplishing this (on her own) and just never telling Joe?
An old trick is to provide a lender with funds from an illegal source to underwrite a loan on a home or commercial building. You then get the ownership and use of the property.
When the loan is refinanced, you get to draw out accumulated equity as seemingly legitimate cash. Indeed, with compliant and reliable accomplices in a bank, illegal cash can be cycled through again and again as one after another supposed refinancings.
In most instances, unless the safety and soundness of a bank is endangered, these and other sins can be hidden from auditors and examiners. Or, if detected, the issues can be resolved through undisclosed fines and audit criticisms.