Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren are calling on their colleagues in Congress to formally condemn President Trump’s recent decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance. In a letter circulated to lawmakers, the senators urge fellow members to support a resolution that denounces the pardon and calls for action to prevent what they describe as blatant corruption.

The resolution, which is largely symbolic, criticizes Zhao’s time as CEO of Binance, where the exchange was accused of enabling one of the largest money laundering operations in history. According to the senators, Binance facilitated over 100,000 illicit transactions, allegedly allowing funds to flow to child abusers, narcotics traffickers, and terrorist groups such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS—all without filing required reports on suspicious activity. Zhao pleaded guilty to allowing money laundering on the Binance platform in 2023, resulting in a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice, his resignation as CEO, and a four-month prison sentence.

The senators’ letter highlights concerns about the circumstances surrounding the pardon, alleging that Zhao worked on billion-dollar business deals with companies linked to the Trump family. Critics have labeled the pardon a payoff, pointing to reported collaborations between Zhao and Trump’s crypto company, World Liberty Financial, to fuel its global expansion.

This effort follows public statements from other Democratic leaders, including Senator Warren and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, both of whom have condemned the pardon as undermining the integrity of the U.S. financial system and raising serious ethical concerns about government dealings with the crypto industry. The resolution is expected to be brought to the Senate floor for unanimous consent in the coming days, reflecting growing scrutiny of cryptocurrency regulations and political influence in high-profile legal cases.