White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt provided an official comment regarding the pardon of former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, Changpeng Zhao (CZ). According to her, every request for a pardon undergoes thorough scrutiny in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and a team of experts. This also applies to the case of Changpeng Zhao, which, according to Levitt, passed all necessary stages of review before reaching President Donald Trump’s desk.
This is reported by Business • Media
Democratic Criticism and the Administration’s Position
The decision to grant the pardon has sparked a wave of criticism from Democrats. Some have called on the Department of Justice to conduct a comprehensive investigation, emphasizing potential connections between Binance and the business interests of the Trump family. They also highlighted that this decision could have been politically motivated, considering Donald Trump’s previous statements regarding the anti-cryptocurrency policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
White House Position on the Pardon Procedure
“When it comes to pardons, the White House takes this very seriously. The President fully understands the responsibility that lies on him when considering the request of any individual.”
As Caroline Levitt emphasized, President Trump has been inclined from the very beginning to consider pardons for individuals who have suffered from political pressure, while also taking into account the opinion of the judge in Zhao’s case. According to Levitt, the judge believed that the punishment proposed by the prosecution was “excessive and too harsh.” The press secretary added that the President’s decision rectified the situation and served as a signal to end the anti-cryptocurrency policy that the Biden administration had pursued.
During the briefing, the press secretary also addressed other important issues, including the government shutdown, the conflict in Sudan, and the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the tariff policy of the Trump administration.