Teresa Guida Guillen, the attorney for former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), commented on rumors regarding the so-called “bought” pardon of her client by U.S. President Donald Trump. She participated in a podcast with renowned crypto expert Anthony Pompliano, where she addressed sharp questions about this situation in detail.
This is reported by Business • Media
Denial of Allegations of a “Bought” Pardon
Recall that at the end of October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a pardon for Changpeng Zhao, which sparked a wave of criticism from Democratic Party representatives. They expressed suspicions regarding a possible connection between Zhao, Binance, and Trump’s cryptocurrency business. The president himself emphasized that he was not personally acquainted with Zhao, but that “good people” vouched for him. Trump also referred to Zhao as a victim of the “war on cryptocurrencies” initiated by the previous administration of Joe Biden.
In her conversation with Pompliano, Teresa Guida Guillen explained that Zhao was sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison due to Binance’s shortcomings in implementing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures. According to her, Zhao became the only person to receive a real sentence for these charges, despite the absence of any victims, and he has an impeccable reputation.
“He was pardoned primarily because he should not have been in prison in the first place. Even the president noted this. His pardon is a restoration of justice,” she stated.
Absence of Links to Trump’s Business
The attorney categorically denied any assumptions that Zhao’s pardon was “bought” and dismissed any connections between Zhao, Binance, and Donald Trump’s business in the cryptocurrency sector. According to Guillen, the media spreads false information and makes unfounded assumptions without any direct evidence.
Guillen also emphasized that the listing of the USD1 stablecoin from World Liberty Financial on Binance occurred within the standard asset selection procedure and does not indicate any special connections between Binance and the company that the media mistakenly refers to as linked to Trump.
Speaking about her client, Guillen highlighted his resilience and calm during the difficult situation, adding that she is impressed by his behavior and optimism under challenging conditions.