Trump's Pardons: From Reality TV to Federal Prison, a Seamless Transition
According to Newsweek, former DOJ Pardon Attorney Margaret Love suggests that if Trump were to pardon Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (who pleaded guilty to money laundering violations), it would be 'corruption.' This insightful analysis overlooks the fact that presidential pardons have long been a transactional affair, a political currency exchanged for loyalty, donations, or future influence. Recall
the flurry of pardons at the end of Trump's previous term—from allies convicted of lying to Congress like Roger Stone to family friends—many of whom had deep pockets or influential connections, just not necessarily cryptocurrency ones. The media acts surprised when a former president, known for conducting diplomacy via golf course and Twitter, might consider a get-out-of-jail-free card for a
crypto mogul facing a four-month sentence. The real corruption isn't the possibility of *this* pardon, but the systemic expectation that power buys impunity, a narrative diligently avoided by those who benefit from the status quo. One could almost imagine the going rate for a presidential mercy swipe has appreciated with inflation, perhaps denominated in digital assets now.