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Tier 1 carried by a primary record
Corroborated 2+ independent news desks
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Aug 13, 2026 Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering violations Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
Clemency for a crypto executive with financial ties to the president's own crypto ventures exemplifies use of pardon power to reward allies and undercut law enforcement.
Independently corroborated by7 independent news desks
The Wall Street Journal · BBC · CNBC · PBS · ABC News · The Dispatch · National Review
Supporting reportingSurfacings — do not carry alone
Supporting reports
- Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao — Trump granted a pardon to Changpeng Zhao, Binance's ex-CEO and founder, who had pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to violating the Bank Secrecy Act and failing to maintain an effective anti-money-laundering program. Zhao served a four-month jail term in 2024 before receiving the pardon in 2025. Zhao still owns 90 percent of Binance, which has been plagued by money-laundering violations and internal findings of $1.7 billion in crypto moving to Iranian entities linked to terrorism.
Attacks
Verified: Tier 1 primary record
Week 82 – 2026-08-08–2026-08-14
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