California Governor Gavin Newsom has intensified his criticism of President Donald Trump’s use of presidential pardons, spotlighting crypto-related clemency decisions as part of a wider political argument over public safety, corruption, and the expanding role of digital assets in U.S. politics.
Newsom this week unveiled a new state-backed website that tracks what his office describes as Trump’s “top criminal cronies,” alongside newly released crime data showing continued declines across California’s major cities.
Against that backdrop, Newsom framed the website as a contrast between state-level crime reduction efforts and Trump’s record of pardons. The page catalogs individuals who received clemency or protection from Trump, including figures from politics, organized crime, and the cryptocurrency sector.
According to figures from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, homicides fell 18% year over year, robberies dropped 18%, aggravated assaults declined 9%, and violent crime was down in every major California city reporting data, with the sharpest decreases recorded in Oakland and San Francisco.
As Violent Crime Drops Across California, Newsom Highlights Trump-Era Pardons
Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024 and released later that year. In October, Trump signed a full pardon, a move later confirmed by Binance. The White House said the decision followed a standard review by the Department of Justice and White House Counsel’s Office, with Trump stating publicly that he did not know Zhao personally.
Crypto-related pardons feature prominently. The site lists Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to implement an adequate anti-money laundering program at the exchange.
Newsom’s website also references Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace, who was sentenced to life in prison for narcotics and money-laundering conspiracy charges linked to more than $214 million in illegal drug sales facilitated through Bitcoin. Trump pardoned Ulbricht for his 2015 conviction. In addition, the site highlights the March pardons of BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Gregory Dwyer, and Samuel Reed, all of whom had pleaded guilty to Bank Secrecy Act violations.
The pardon triggered political backlash, with Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, accusing Trump of signaling leniency toward white-collar and crypto-related crimes.
