Breaking: CZ’s Legal Team Reveals Trump Pardon Went Through Rigorous Formal Review

Binance founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao's pardon wasn’t a backroom deal—it survived Washington’s bureaucratic gauntlet.

Behind the scenes: Lawyers confirm due process was followed, despite crypto skeptics crying foul. The system worked—or at least pretended to.

Finance jab: Meanwhile, Wall Street bankers get pardons via campaign donations and golf outings. Some things never change.

TLDR

• CZ’s pardon process involved a thorough review by the Justice Department and White House lawyers.
• Lawyer Teresa Goody refutes rumors of a quid-pro-quo involving Binance and Trump.
• CZ was pardoned after a compliance-related violation, not a criminal one.
• The Trump pardon followed standard procedures and wasn’t influenced by Binance’s crypto ties.

Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance, received a pardon from U.S. President Donald TRUMP in October 2025, but the process was far from a simple phone call, according to Zhao’s lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén. In a recent appearance on Anthony Pompliano’s podcast, Goody Guillén provided details about how the pardon was granted, explaining that it followed a formal, multi-step review process involving several government agencies.

Goody Guillén clarified that the pardon was not the result of a backroom deal or a direct phone call to Trump. Instead, the process began with a formal application that was reviewed by various departments. She described how a written justification for the pardon was submitted, which then passed through the U.S. Justice Department’s pardon office and the WHITE House Counsel’s Office for further evaluation.

She emphasized that the process was thorough and followed established procedures. “All of that review has to take place before it can be granted,” Goody Guillén stated. Once the review was complete, the final decision was made by President Trump. The lawyer also dismissed rumors suggesting a special connection between Trump and Zhao, saying the pardon was granted based on the fairness of the case, not any influence or personal relationships.

The charges that led to Zhao’s conviction in 2023 stemmed from Binance’s failure to implement anti-money laundering (AML) programs. Goody Guillén pointed out that this issue was more of a regulatory infraction rather than a criminal act involving direct fraud or victims. “There’s no money laundering involved. It’s a compliance issue,” she explained.

Zhao was the only executive to face prosecution for such violations, despite similar failures at large financial institutions where CEOs were not prosecuted. Goody Guillén argued that Zhao’s conviction represented an outlier, with banks and other institutions facing similar or worse violations but not experiencing the same level of legal consequences. She further claimed that Zhao’s pardon was a corrective action because “he never should have been prosecuted in the first place.”

Amid growing speculation about possible quid-pro-quo arrangements, Goody Guillén firmly rejected the idea that Zhao’s pardon was tied to any business dealings with Trump or his family. Reports had suggested that Binance had connections with World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm partly owned by the Trump family. However, Goody Guillén rejected these claims as unfounded.

She also addressed rumors of Binance’s role in supporting the World Liberty stablecoin, USD1, which runs on Binance’s BNB Chain. Critics had suggested that Binance’s involvement with USD1 indicated some FORM of backroom deal with Trump. Goody Guillén dismissed these claims, pointing out that USD1 operates on multiple blockchain platforms and is not exclusive to Binance.

“The idea that just because a stablecoin runs on a public chain means there’s a special relationship with its former CEO is misleading,” she said.

Goody Guillén also framed Zhao’s prosecution as part of a larger trend of regulatory crackdowns against the cryptocurrency industry, particularly following the collapse of FTX. She argued that Zhao and Binance were targeted as part of a “war on crypto” initiated by U.S. regulators, who sought a high-profile example. According to Goody Guillén, regulators were looking for a way to demonstrate their control over the industry, and Zhao’s case became a focal point.

Despite the pardon, Goody Guillén confirmed that Zhao WOULD not be returning to run Binance. She added that the company still faces oversight from U.S. agencies, including the Treasury Department, which continues to monitor Binance’s compliance efforts. However, Zhao’s pardon could potentially pave the way for Binance’s reentry into the U.S. market.