“slipped past”

More like “walked through the wide open thoroughfare designed to allow them in” via deliberate underfunding of regulators and de-fanging consumer protections.

Imagine if a person did this to a bunch of individuals. What would the punishment be?

That person would likely be in prison for the rest of their lives, at least, they would be removed from society as they have proven that they cannot be trusted to participate in good faith.

How will these companies be punished?