Overview
- CBS’s 60 Minutes reported that Binance supported Trump‑linked World Liberty Financial — including a claim of “donated software” — and highlighted a $2 billion UAE investment settled using the venture’s crypto.
- CZ’s attorney Teresa Goody Guillén said the clemency followed Justice Department and White House counsel review and argued any payoff would be traceable on‑chain, saying none has been shown.
- Zhao wrote that no refund of Binance’s roughly $4.3 billion settlement has been requested and said any returned funds would be invested in the U.S., while legal analyses note a pardon does not void corporate penalties.
- Former U.S. Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer called the circumstances unprecedented and ethically troubling, and lawmakers including Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have sought records and introduced measures criticizing the pardon.
- Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an effective anti‑money‑laundering program, served four months, and paid a $50 million personal fine, and Binance continues to face U.S. compliance oversight.