Changpeng “CZ” Zhao received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump after serving four months for U.S. AML violations. The Politico report says the CZ pardon followed months of targeted Binance lobbying in Washington for “executive relief.” The effort focused on offices that oversee clemency and financial-crime policy.
The Politico report places outreach and payments before the pardon. The sequence details who Binance hired, when those contracts started, and how the work aimed at the White House and Treasury. The CZ pardon appears at the end of that timeline.
The record shows names, numbers, and agencies. The Binance lobbying scope covered “executive relief,” which includes clemency. Therefore, the Politico report links the CZ pardon to a defined Washington strategy rather than a generic compliance push.
Checkmate Government Relations: Binance Lobbying on “Executive Relief”
In late September, Binance retained Ches McDowell and Checkmate Government Relations, a firm tied to Donald Trump Jr. The Politico report says the contract targeted the White House and Treasury on “executive relief.” The fee was $450,000 for one month of Binance lobbying.
The Politico report adds business context. It says Checkmate Government Relations brought in $7.1 million over the last three months. This establishes scale and shows Binance lobbying used a fast-growing firm for the CZ pardon push.
The filing disclosed specific agencies and a clear objective. The Binance lobbying language named the relief sought and the targets to contact. The timeline aligns with the new administration’s access points before the CZ pardon decision.
Teresa Goody Guillén: Payments and the SEC Link in the CZ Pardon Story
After the inauguration, Binance and CZ retained Teresa Goody Guillén, a crypto lawyer once considered for SEC chair under Trump. According to the Politico report, her firm received $290,000 this year from Binance and CZ. This ran parallel to Checkmate Government Relations and the “executive relief” brief.
Teresa Goody Guillén brings securities-law and digital-asset expertise. The Politico report indicates that Binance sought counsel with SEC background while the CZ pardon request advanced. This placed Binance lobbying on two tracks: political access and regulatory framing.
Together, Checkmate Government Relations and Teresa Goody Guillén created complementary lanes. One lane interfaced with senior political actors for the CZ pardon. The other addressed market-regulation narratives that SEC stakeholders know well.
Trump Remarks, World Liberty Financial, and Binance Lobbying Spend
The Politico report says Binance spent over $1 million on lobbying in 2022, then paused after its 2023 plea deal. Under the Trump administration this year, Binance lobbying reached $860,000 already. During the same period, Binance expanded partnerships, including one with World Liberty Financial, a venture linked to Trump.
At a press conference, Donald Trump defended the CZ pardon. He said Zhao “was persecuted by the Biden administration” and that “what he did is not even a crime.” Those lines place the CZ pardon within a political frame and connect public remarks to the Politico report timeline.
The partnership with World Liberty Financial appears alongside the Binance lobbying numbers. The Politico report presents spending, relationships, and public statements in the same window. This context supports why the CZ pardon drew immediate attention on Capitol Hill.
Maxine Waters Reaction: Criticism of the CZ Pardon and Binance Lobbying
Representative Maxine Waters condemned the CZ pardon. She called it a “massive favor for crypto criminals.” She cited CZ’s guilty plea to U.S. money-laundering violations and linked the clemency to months of Binance lobbying.
Maxine Waters also alleged money moved into World Liberty Financial as part of this effort. She framed the CZ pardon as the result of influence and funding touching a venture tied to Trump. The allegation keeps the Politico report timeline in focus.
The reaction places Congress in the narrative. It signals questions for agencies involved in clemency and AML enforcement. With Maxine Waters on record, the CZ pardon and Binance lobbying trail will likely face continued scrutiny.
Case Background: AML Plea, Sentence, and CZ Pardon Outcome
In 2023, CZ pleaded guilty to violating U.S. AML laws and stepped down as Binance CEO. He served four months in prison under the plea agreement. The CZ pardon arrived after those months and after the renewed Binance lobbying push.
The Politico report frames this sequence with filings and fees. It shows Binance lobbying restarted after the inauguration and targeted the White House and Treasury for “executive relief.” The CZ pardon followed that effort.
Separately, prediction markets tracked other clemency scenarios, such as bets on Sam Bankman-Fried. Those markets do not connect to CZ, but they show how participants price political risk in high-profile crypto cases. The Politico report keeps the focus on the CZ pardon and the Binance lobbying record.