CZ’s Lawyer Pushes Back Against “Pay-to-Play” Rumors Surrounding Trump Pardon

In a recent podcast interview, CZ’s attorney Teresa Goody Guillén described the reports as “misinformation piled on top of more misinformation.” She said there was no secret payment, no political bargaining, and no back-channel deal — just a formal pardon process handled through the Justice Department and the White House counsel’s office.

According to Guillén, the narrative that CZ “paid his way out” has grown mostly from misunderstanding and the typical rumor storm that often surrounds high-profile crypto figures. She reiterated that Zhao’s case was a regulatory violation, centered on Binance’s shortcomings in AML compliance — not fraud, not market manipulation, and not any form of money laundering.

Much of the public speculation has stemmed from attempts to link Binance or CZ to World Liberty Financial (WLFI), the crypto company promoted by Trump family members earlier this year. Guillén called those claims “simply untrue,” adding that there’s no financial trail, no partnership, and no evidence of any arrangement that could have influenced a presidential pardon.

CZ himself echoed that sentiment in a separate interview, saying he was “genuinely surprised” when the pardon was announced. He noted that he has never met Donald Trump, and his only interaction with the Trump family was a brief handshake with Eric Trump at an industry event.

Despite the strong denials, the story has become a political spark point in Washington. Critics argue the pardon raises questions about the influence of wealthy crypto figures and whether political access is becoming easier to purchase. But Guillén insists the opposite — that CZ went through the same process as anyone else seeking clemency.

For now, the debate isn’t going away. But Zhao’s team appears determined to pull the discussion back to facts, not speculation, as the crypto world continues to digest one of the year’s biggest legal plot twists.