https://discuss.asciidoctor.org/footnotes-with-paragraph-breaks-tp4130p4133.html
From MLA {1}:
"MLA discourages extensive use of explanatory or digressive notes."
"Because long explanatory notes can be distracting to readers, most academic style guidelines (including MLA and APA, the American Psychological Association) recommend limited use of endnotes/footnotes"
I think publishers that use multi-paragraph footnotes are abusing the structural element. Just because these publishers do it doesn't mean they should be.
My opinion is that a multi-paragraph footnote is an indicator of a structural problem in the text. If you feel the need to insert a big content note, then you didn't explain something right somewhere in the main text. They should only be used when something would be far to digressive from the text to mention, and even then it should be curtailed as much as possible.
If you need a longer description, consider a sidebar. (But I think that most sidebars are also indicators of structural problems in the text and should also be avoided where ever possible).
But I'm glad to solution works for your case, but I recognized that sometimes we don't have a choice and just need to duplicate what is already there. I think the fact that it looks a little ugly is a good thing because it reminds us that the footnote should be trimmed at some point.
-Dan