Teresa Goody Guillen, legal counsel for Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), refuted allegations of a "pardon-for-pay" deal involving former President Trump during an appearance on the Pomp Podcast. She clarified that there was no transaction related to Trump's presidential pardon of CZ in October. Additionally, Guillen dismissed media reports suggesting Binance's connections with World Liberty Financial and USD1 were used for "paid lobbying," labeling them as "a patchwork of misinformation." Previously, in 2023, CZ pleaded guilty to violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, resulting in a four-month prison sentence in 2024 and a $50 million fine. Binance was fined $4.3 billion in the same case.