CZ’s Lawyer Pushes Back Against ‘Pay-to-Play’ Pardon Claims

The controversy surrounding Changpeng Zhao’s presidential pardon continues to escalate, but his lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén, is firmly rejecting claims that the Binance co-founder bought his way to freedom. In a recent appearance on Anthony Pompliano’s “Pomp Podcast,” Guillén described the accusations as a “pile up of false statements,” arguing that critics misunderstand both the business landscape and how blockchain works.

The controversy has been amplified by recent news reports highlighting Binance’s deepening ties with the Trump family. After Trump’s reelection, Binance became closely connected with World Liberty Financial, a crypto company partially owned by Trump-linked entity DT Marks DEFI LLC. DT Marks previously held a 75% stake and currently owns 38%, while Trump-affiliated entities hold 22.5 billion World Liberty tokens and receive 75% of token-sale proceeds.

These ties, combined with Zhao’s October pardon, granted months after he served a four-month prison sentence, have fueled accusations of a quid-pro-quo. Senator Elizabeth Warren has been one of the most outspoken critics, calling the situation an example of political corruption.

Lawyer Rejects Links Between CZ and Trump’s Crypto Ventures

Guillén pushed back against the ongoing narrative that CZ’s pardon was a result of financial influence, particularly through World Liberty Financial, a company widely and incorrectly labeled as a Trump-owned venture. She stressed there is no evidence showing the firm belongs to Trump, yet the assumption continues to circulate as fact. According to her, the media and political critics are leaning on speculation rather than truth.

CZ served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 over failures to implement proper Anti-Money Laundering controls at Binance. Although the charges did not include fraud or victim-related harm, they led to his stepping back from the exchange. When former president Donald Trump pardoned CZ in October, he publicly argued that CZ’s offense “wasn’t a crime.”

Sen. Warren’s Criticism Sparks Pushback

One of the strongest critics, Senator Elizabeth Warren, called the pardon an example of “corruption,” alleging CZ 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 had been convicted of a crime he wasn’t charged with. She also criticized the broad immunity afforded to U.S. politicians, suggesting it allows misinformation to spread without consequence. According to her, this wasn’t what America’s founders intended for political accountability.

A Pardon Framed as ‘Justice’

Guillén argued the pardon wasn’t political favoritism but a correction of injustice. She claimed 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 prison for comparable issues, CZ became the face of regulatory frustration, she said.

“He’s the only person ever prosecuted, and even imprisoned, for a charge with no fraud, no victims, and no criminal history,” Guillén explained, maintaining that he became a convenient scapegoat in a tense regulatory environment.