Ahmet Bedirhan Arvas 
U.S. President Donald Trump recently pardoned former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ. This decision made by Trump created a huge stir, especially within the crypto community. At that moment, everyone had the same question in mind: “How was CZ pardoned?” The answer, according to Politico, is quite clear — this pardon came right after Binance and Zhao conducted high-budget lobbying activities in Washington.
How Did the Process Work for CZ?
In 2023, CZ was sentenced to four years in prison and fined $50 million for allegedly violating U.S. Anti-Money Laundering (AML) laws. However, according to Politico, CZ’s case turned out to be much more than a simple legal process.
The revealed report shows that Binance transferred large sums of money to companies linked to Trump. The largest transfer went to Checkmate Government Relations, owned by Ches McDowell, a close associate of Donald Trump Jr. These transfers brought the firm $450,000 in just one month. During this period, Checkmate became one of the fastest-growing lobbying firms in Washington, generating a total of $7.1 million in revenue over three months.
Binance didn’t stop at working with Trump and his circle; it also began collaborating with former SEC nominee Teresa Goody Guillén for $290,000. This partnership is believed to be part of Binance’s strategy to gain legal and political support within regulatory circles.
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Binance Continues Its Lobbying Expenditures!
Binance seems to understand that creating a lobbying presence is inevitable — and it’s acting accordingly. Since 2022, the company has spent over $1 million on lobbying efforts, which is not surprising. However, after reaching a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2023, Binance temporarily paused its lobbying activities. That hiatus ended under Trump’s influence, and since then, the company has spent another $860,000. The community interprets this move as follows:
“Binance wants to be as big at the political table as it is at the crypto table.”
This statement clearly reflects the sentiment within the community, especially after Trump defended CZ by saying, “CZ was persecuted and politically targeted by the Biden administration.” Trump also argued that the accusations were excessive and could have dealt a major blow to the cryptocurrency market.
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