White House says Trump’s pardon of CZ was reviewed with ‘utmost seriousness’

The White House defended the pardon granted to Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), stating the decision was reached after a standard and serious review process involving the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel's Office. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that former President Trump’s comment about not knowing Zhao personally meant he lacked a personal relationship with him. Trump had previously defended the pardon, calling the prosecution a “Biden witch hunt.” Zhao had pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and served four months in prison. Reports had surfaced regarding potential business dealings between Trump-linked entities and Binance prior to the pardon, but Binance CEO Richard Teng distanced the company from those decisions.

(Source：The Block)