The discussion surrounding the pardon of Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) continues to concern people in the United States. While his supporters see the case as a correction to what they call an overly harsh approach to the crypto sector, critics question how the pardon came about.
Guillén reacts strongly to accusations against CZ
During a conversation on the Pomp Podcast, CZ’s lawyer Teresa Goody Guillén called the criticism “an accumulation of false statements.” She responded to claims that CZ had bought influence through a donation to World Liberty, an organization that some media have linked to Trump. According to Guillén, there is no evidence for this.
CZ spent four months in prison in 2024 due to the lack of sufficient anti-money laundering measures at Binance. He stepped down as CEO and acknowledged responsibility for shortcomings within the company. When Trump pardoned him in October, he stated that he believed the case for which CZ had been convicted was “not a crime.”
One of the fiercest critics, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, called it “corruption.” According to her, CZ had boosted one of Trump’s crypto initiatives and lobbied for a pardon. CZ responded that Warren “doesn’t have her facts in order.”
Guillén argued that Warren even made incorrect legal claims. According to her, the senator claimed that CZ had been convicted of facts for which he was not convicted at all. Guillén states that Warren even tried to impose additional criminal consequences on him. “The immunity given to politicians is not what our founding fathers envisioned,” Guillén said.
Was CZ the target of a political anti-crypto agenda?
In the podcast, CZ’s lawyer described the pardon as “justice.” According to her, CZ fell victim to a broader battle against crypto. “He is the only one ever prosecuted and even jailed for this specific type of charge, with no fraud, no victims and no criminal record.”
Guillén pointed out the difference with traditional financial institutions, where directors rarely receive prison sentences for similar violations. Analysts have been signaling for some time that regulators are taking tougher action against major players in the sector since the FTX crash.
The question remains whether CZ was a necessary warning or a scapegoat in a politically charged battle for crypto regulation. According to Guillén, the latter is the case.
Source: https://newsbit.nl/advocaat-cz-geen-sprake-van-betaalde-gratie-door-trump/
