Trump's Binance Pardon: Just Another Day in the Swamp?
So, Trump pardoned the Binance founder, CZ, Changpeng Zhao or whatever. Big freakin' deal, right? I mean, are we really surprised anymore? The guy basically admitted to letting Binance be a playground for money launderers, funneling cash to terrorists and assorted other scumbags, and now he gets a get-out-of-jail-free card courtesy of the ex-president? This is exactly the kind of crap that makes people lose faith in the whole damn system.
And let's not even pretend this is some kind of isolated incident. Liz Oyer, the former DOJ pardon attorney, basically called it straight-up corruption. She said the influence money played in securing this pardon was "unprecedented". Unprecedented? Really? In this political climate? I'm starting to think I've become desensitized to the corruption. It's just background noise at this point.
The Crypto-Politics Connection
The CBS News report about Binance donating software to Trump family-linked World Liberty Financial? That's not just shady; it's practically neon-lit with "conflict of interest." The guy gets busted for letting criminals use his platform, then his company helps Trump's family launch a crypto venture. Then, an Emirati fund dumps $2 billion into Binance through some obscure crypto coin. It's not strange. It's nuts.
Trump claims he doesn't even know CZ, but then dismisses questions about it with the classic "you don't know much about crypto…You fake news." Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt your regularly scheduled grift? Seriously, how much more blatant can this get?
And CZ's response? A coy "IF we get any refund, we will be investing that in America anyway." Oh, how generous of you! It's almost like he's trying to buy forgiveness with a promise of future investment. I almost choked on my coffee when I read that.
Is Anyone Surprised?
The ICIJ's Coin Laundry report is also a kick in the teeth. Turns out, even after CZ's guilty plea, Binance was still facilitating millions in transactions for organized crime groups. So, what, the fine was just the cost of doing business? A slap on the wrist while they continued to rake in the dough from shady dealings?
Speaking of fines, CZ floated the idea of reinvesting a potential refund of the $4.3 billion Binance paid to U.S. agencies "in America." The nerve! That money should be going to compensate the victims of the scams and illegal activities that Binance enabled, not back into some venture that lines the pockets of the already wealthy. Binance will invest everything in America if it gets a refund after CZ pardon
And what about Oyer getting fired after refusing to restore Mel Gibson's gun rights? The DOJ denies it was connected, but come on. It's too convenient. She speaks out against corruption, refuses to play ball with political favors, and suddenly she's out of a job? Yeah, okay. I believe that about as much as I believe that Trump's hair is real. Maybe I'm wrong, but it all feels fishy to me.
The Future of "Justice"
What's next? More congressional hearings? More lawsuits? More investigations that ultimately lead nowhere? Maybe. Oyer's lawsuits could force the release of internal DOJ communications, and maybe, just maybe, we'll get a glimpse into the real workings of this swamp. But honestly, I'm not holding my breath.
Lessig's quote about a "private form of corruption going on inside of the executive branch" hits the nail on the head. It's not about left or right anymore; it's about the connected versus the unconnected. And guess who always loses? The average Joe, offcourse.
This Whole Thing Stinks
The pardon of CZ, the Binance founder is a reminder that justice is often a commodity for sale to the highest bidder, especially in the crypto space. It's a sad state of affairs when presidential pardons seem less about justice and more about political favors and personal enrichment.