Overview
- Changpeng “CZ” Zhao said there is no business relationship between him, Binance and World Liberty Financial or the president’s sons, calling the claims “categorically false.”
- He told Fox News his lawyers filed a clemency petition in April, said he was “a little bit surprised” by the October pardon, and noted he has never spoken with the president.
- Zhao acknowledged meeting Eric Trump once at a Bitcoin conference in Abu Dhabi but denied any discussions about a deal.
- The Wall Street Journal said it stands by its reporting that Binance pursued an arrangement with the Trumps’ crypto venture that could be leveraged for clemency.
- The White House cast the pardon as ending a “war on cryptocurrency,” as critics questioned the move and noted Zhao’s 2023 guilty plea and Binance’s $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities.