The controversy surrounding Changpeng Zhao’s presidential pardon continues to escalate, but his lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén, firmly rejects claims that the Binance co-founder bought his way to freedom. In a recent appearance in Anthony Pompliano’s “Pump podcast‘, Guillén described the allegations as a “accumulation of false statements”, arguing that critics misunderstand both the business landscape and the way blockchain works.
The controversy has been heightened by recent news reports highlighting Binance’s deeper ties to the Trump family. After Trump’s re-election, Binance became closely associated with World Liberty Financial, a crypto company partly owned by Trump-affiliated entity DT Marks DEFI LLC. DT Marks previously held a 75% stake and currently owns 38%, while Trump-affiliated entities own 22.5 billion World Liberty tokens and receive 75% of the proceeds from token sales.
These ties, combined with Zhao’s pardon in October, which was granted months after he served a four-month prison sentence, have fueled accusations of quid pro quo. Senator Elizabeth Warren was one of the most vocal critics, calling the situation an example of political corruption.
Lawyer Rejects Ties Between CZ and Trump’s Crypto Ventures
Guillén pushed back against the persistent narrative that CZ’s pardon was the result of financial influence, particularly through World Liberty Financial, a company widely and incorrectly labeled as a Trump-owned enterprise. She emphasized that there is no evidence that the company belongs to Trump, but the assumption continues to circulate as fact. According to her, the media and political critics rely more on speculation than on the truth.
CZ served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 for failing to implement proper anti-money laundering controls at Binance. Although the charges did not allege fraud or victim-related harm, they led to his withdrawal from the exchange. When former President Donald Trump pardoned CZ in October, he publicly argued that CZ’s offense “was not a crime.”
Senator Warren’s criticism is causing a backlash
One of the strongest critics, Senator Elizabeth Warren, called the pardon an example of “corruption,” claiming that CZ had boosted Trump’s crypto ventures and lobbied for the pardon. CZ quickly fired back, claiming Warren “couldn’t get her facts right.”
Guillén echoed this sentiment, pointing out inaccuracies in Warren’s statements, particularly the claim that CZ was convicted of a crime he was not charged with. She also criticized the broad immunity afforded to US politicians, suggesting it allows disinformation to spread without consequence. According to her, this was not what America’s founding fathers intended with their political accountability.
A grace framed as ‘justice’
Guillén argued that the pardon was not political favoritism, but a correction of injustice. She claimed that CZ was unfairly targeted during what she described as a “war on crypto,” especially in the heated aftermath of the FTX collapse. While executives in traditional finance have avoided jail for similar issues, CZ became the face of regulatory frustration, she said.
“He is the only person ever prosecuted and even imprisoned on a charge with no fraud, no victims and no criminal record,” Guillén explained, insisting he became a convenient scapegoat in a tense regulatory environment.
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