Former Binance CEO CZ was pardoned by Trump after an extensive lobbying effort. Binance hired a firm linked to Trump Jr. and paid $450,000 for lobbying. Another crypto lawyer, Teresa Goody Guillén, received $290,000 from Binance. The company spent $1 million on lobbying before pausing operations in 2023.

Under the Trump administration, Binance spent $860,000 on lobbying and expanded partnerships, including with World Liberty Financial. Maxine Waters criticized Trump’s pardon of CZ, calling it a favor for crypto criminals. Trump defended the decision, stating Zhao was persecuted by the Biden administration. Waters alleged lobbying and funneling money into Trump’s company influenced the pardon.

Read more at Cointelegraph: CZ’s Pardon Followed Costly Binance Lobbying in Washington