Joe Lonsdale, one of President Trump's loudest and richest supporters, spoke out against yesterday's pardon of crypto billionaire Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, who had been convicted of violating anti-money laundering laws and sentenced to four months in prison.
Why it matters: The call is coming from inside the MAGA house, which is unusual on its own, and reflects quieter complaints about the Trump family's crypto empire.
What they're saying: Lonsdale, a Texas-based venture capitalist and Palantir cofounder, tweeted: "I love President Trump; this is possibly the greatest admin of my lifetime - except for these pardons. If I'm calling balls and strikes, these are hit-by-pitches!! POTUS has been terribly advised on this; it makes it look like massive fraud is happening around him in this area."
- In response to a commenter, Lonsdale added that "the goal of this post is to influence future policy in a positive direction," and that he also was concerned about an earlier pardon for disgraced Nikola CEO Trevor Milton.
The intrigue: Trump's family has business ties to Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, which Zhao founded and led before his conviction.
- Earlier this year, Trump's Securities & Exchange Commission dropped charges against the company.
