White House says Zhao pardon followed thorough review

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was made after a thorough review, Cointelegraph reported. She said the process involved both the Department of Justice and the White House Counsel's Office. Leavitt clarified that a previous statement by U.S. President Donald Trump about not knowing Zhao was meant to convey a lack of personal acquaintance, not an unawareness of his case. She emphasized that the pardon was a measure intended to correct the political overreach of the previous administration. The remarks come amid criticism from some U.S. political circles that the pardon constituted preferential treatment. Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an adequate anti-money laundering program and was sentenced to four months in prison before President Trump granted the pardon.