President Donald Trump pardoned Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to ABC News on Thursday. Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to a money laundering charge.

Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor, was prosecuted in connection with the Special Counsel's Russia probe. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communication with a Russian diplomat. Trump pardoned Flynn in 2020.

The Senate blocked a bill to pay federal workers during the shutdown. The vote: By a 54-45 vote, the Senate rejected a bill to pay federal workers who have been required to continue working without pay during the government shutdown. Trump said he canceled a “surge” of federal officials in San Francisco.

President Donald Trump signed a pardon Wednesday for convicted crypto executive Changpeng Zhao, who founded the Binance crypto exchange, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

Trump's pardon could clear the way for Changpeng Zhao, known to most as "CZ", to return to a leadership role at Binance.

Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, pleaded guilty along with its CEO to failing to maintain an anti-money laundering program.