Who Gets a Pardon in Trump's America — and Why?

SPEAKER_1 (0:02)

Breaking news, President Trump just pardoned one of the most powerful people in the crypto world.

SPEAKER_2 (0:08)

That was Changpeng Zhao, who had been convicted of money laundering.

Simone Leeper (0:12)

In October of 2025, news outlets reported a bombshell, a presidential pardon for a cryptocurrency billionaire.

SPEAKER_4 (0:20)

He founded this company called Binance, that is the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. But that platform, I should note, was also used by criminals.

SPEAKER_5 (0:28)

And for that, he was sentenced and served four months in prison.

Simone Leeper (0:32)

The president batted away questions about why he pardoned the founder of Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange.

Donald Trump (0:39)

He was somebody that, as I was told, I don't know him, I don't believe I've ever met him, but I've been told by a lot of support, he had a lot of support. And they said that what he did is not even a crime. And so I gave him a pardon at the request of a lot of very good people.

Simone Leeper (0:57)

With his felony conviction wiped away, Zhao was again legally allowed to serve on corporate boards. Indisputably, however, the pardon was part of a pattern. Just that year alone, President Trump pardoned more than 1500 people.

Most had been convicted for offenses related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol. But many others, including the Binance founder, appeared to have channeled money to the president's business or political operations, or hired lobbyists to secure a pardon.

SPEAKER_1 (1:27)

Informally, Binance has been very supportive of the Trump family crypto empire, helping facilitate trades of World Liberty Financial's token. And that business alone has added an estimated $5 billion to the Trump family net worth.

SPEAKER_5 (1:44)

There are going to be questions about conflicts of interest here. Lots of questions about how much of this is motivated by money and profits.

Simone Leeper (1:56)

I'm Simone Leeper, and this is Democracy Decoded, a podcast where we examine our government and discuss innovative ideas that can create a stronger, more transparent, accountable, and inclusive democracy. I work for Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization that for 25 years has been leading a campaign to solve the wide range of challenges facing American democracy.

This season on Democracy Decoded, we're focusing on something that is at the very foundation of our country, but doesn't usually get the splashy headlines, the rule of law. When it works well, we hardly notice it. But when a presidential administration and its allies undermine or outright ignore this constitutionally enshrined cornerstone of our democracy, things start going sideways very quickly for Americans.

Our episode today looks at executive clemency under President Trump. At its best, the constitutional ability for presidents to issue pardons or commute sentences can offer a final executive check on judicial mistakes. But few rules hold presidents to account for how they issue pardons. We're seeing now what happens when a president leverages that enormous power for personal gain.

Liz Oyer (3:10)

In my view, clemency provides a really important and valuable opportunity to grant second chances to some individuals who have been sentenced unfairly under mandatory minimum sentencing laws, including many laws that are now outdated.

Simone Leeper (3:25)

This is Liz Oyer. From 2022 to early 2025, she led the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the US Department of Justice.

She and her colleagues reviewed applications for pardons, and in turn made recommendations to Presidents Biden and Trump. Previously, she worked as a federal public defender. That position gave her a unique perspective on the pardon process.

Liz Oyer (3:50)

Federal sentencing can be extremely harsh, sometimes unduly harsh.

I saw many cases in which mandatory minimum sentencing laws drove sentences that were not necessarily commensurate with the seriousness of the crime or the amount of time of incarceration that was necessary for the individual. We have had some major changes in criminal sentencing in recent years, including a law called the First Step Act, which scaled back mandatory minimum sentences for recidivist drug offenses, as well as for certain offenses involving possession of a firearm. Yet there are still thousands of people serving, in some cases, life sentences under those outdated laws who have no avenue of relief available through the courts. So really, executive clemency is the only hope that they have of being released from prison before they die.

Simone Leeper (4:41)

High-profile pardons by presidents tend to draw the most news coverage when someone convicted of a crime avoids prison time. But a pardon or commutation often repairs the life of someone who long ago served their time.

Liz Oyer (4:54)

Having even a very dated criminal record can prevent you from getting a professional license, for example, taking out a small business loan, getting certain types of employment or educational opportunities for people who are parents and grandparents. It can even prevent you from going on a field trip with your child or your grandchild if you've got a criminal conviction on your record.