CZ’s pardon came after costly Binance lobbying push in Washington: Politico

CZ’s pardon by Trump followed a lobbying push that included $450,000 to Trump-linked lobbyists and $290,000 to former SEC chair contender Teresa Goody Guillén.

Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao’s pardon by US President Donald Trump came after an extensive and expensive lobbying campaign in Washington.

Zhao, who served a four-month prison sentence last year for violating US Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws, benefited from a months-long effort by Binance and its legal team to win over key figures in Trump’s orbit, according to a Sunday report by Politico.

In late September, Binance hired Ches McDowell, a close associate of Donald Trump Jr., and his North Carolina-based firm Checkmate Government Relations to lobby the White House and Treasury Department on “executive relief,” the report claimed.

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