Overview
- In an Oct. 23 post, Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrote that Changpeng “CZ” Zhao pleaded guilty to a criminal money laundering charge and was sentenced to prison.
- Zhao’s counsel, Teresa Goody Guillén, sent a demand letter seeking a retraction of the post and threatening litigation if it was not removed.
- Warren’s attorney, Ben Stafford, replied in a Sunday letter that any defamation claim would be without merit because the post relies on public DOJ materials and court filings.
- Stafford’s response highlights First Amendment protections for commentary about public figures and notes the high “actual malice” standard required to prevail in such a case.
- Zhao admitted in November 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain an effective AML program, received a four‑month sentence in April 2024, and was pardoned by President Trump on Oct. 23, 2025, a decision criticized in reporting that ties Binance to the Trump‑family USD1 stablecoin and a $2 billion transaction.