Democratic senators are rallying their colleagues to formally denounce the president’s controversial decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren are leading an effort to pass a resolution expressing disapproval of the pardon, which they argue undermines the integrity of the financial system and sends the wrong message about accountability in the crypto industry.

The resolution points to Zhao’s guilty plea in November 2023 to enabling money laundering on Binance, part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice. During his time as CEO, Binance was accused of allowing over 100,000 illicit transactions, allegedly facilitating money flows to child abusers, drug traffickers, and terrorist organizations like Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS—without filing any suspicious activity reports.

The senators’ document also raises concerns about Zhao’s reported business ties to the Trump family’s crypto ventures, suggesting the pardon may be linked to billion-dollar deals with Trump-affiliated companies. Democratic leaders in both the Senate and House, including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, have condemned the move, describing the pardon as a payoff connected to Zhao’s assistance in expanding Trump’s crypto operations worldwide.

While resolutions like this are largely symbolic, they serve as a public statement of disapproval, aiming to uphold government standards and reinforce the seriousness of anti-money laundering enforcement in the evolving landscape of digital assets.

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