US President Donald Trump stated that he is not familiar with Changpeng Zhao, the founder of the crypto exchange Binance, despite having signed an order for his pardon last month. This was reported by NBC News, writes UNN.
Details
During an interview for the 60 Minutes program on CBS, Trump was asked why he decided to pardon the Chinese billionaire, who was convicted of facilitating money laundering. In response, he said: "I don't know who he is."
At the same time, Trump mentioned that his sons are actively interested in cryptocurrencies.
Part. The Trump family accumulated a fortune of $6 billion in cryptocurrency
I can only tell you one thing. My sons are enthusiastic about it. I'm glad they're enthusiastic about it, because cryptocurrency is probably a great industry. I think it's good
— said Trump.
The President also suggested that the founder of Binance might have been a victim of political persecution.
I think this guy was a victim of the weaponization of the Department of Justice
— noted the American leader.
Addition
Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, was sentenced in 2023 to four months in prison after a deal with the US Department of Justice. Binance was ordered to pay over $4 billion in fines, and Zhao himself – another $50 million.
The scandal surrounding Zhao's pardon erupted because his company had business ties with crypto projects linked to the Trump family, particularly through the firm World Liberty Financial, founded by Eric and Donald Trump Jr.