Maxine Waters Condemns Trump’s Pardon of Binance Founder CZ, Calls It Kleptocracy Tied to WLFI

COINOTAG News, citing Axios, reports that Maxine Waters, the House Financial Services Committee’s top Democrat, criticized the pardon of Binance founder CZ by President Trump. In a Thursday statement, Waters said the move is ‘brazenly advocate’ yet does not advance government reopening, signaling compromised governance. She described the pardon as a reward tied to CZ’s lobbying and billions funneled to WLFI, a Trump-affiliated crypto firm, calling it ‘horrific’ and corrupt.

Waters further alleged CZ leveraged months of outreach to Trump and his family, with funds directed to WLFI, implying a quid pro quo and kleptocratic influence. The remarks raise questions about crypto regulation credibility and market sentiment, as lawmakers scrutinize political links in the crypto sector. The report underscores the need for transparent governance and robust regulatory risk assessment for investors and exchanges.