Justin Sun and Changpeng Zhao fired back hard today after the Wall Street Journal published a story linking them to secret political deals, criminal investigations, snitching, and a shady crypto token tied to President Donald Trump’s family. 

The article accused both men of working behind the scenes with Trump allies and U.S. officials to reduce government pressure and boost their crypto businesses. But both men went public, calling the story complete BS.

CZ posted on X:

“WSJ is really TRYING here. They seem to have forgotten who went to prison and who didn’t. People who become gov witnesses don’t go to prison. They are protected. I heard someone paid WSJ employees to smear me.”

Justin Sun and CZ display solidarity

CZ served four months last year after pleading guilty in a major U.S. case, but he’s still running Binance’s empire from the shadows. Now he’s accusing someone of paying journalists to go after him, though without naming names. He is a pretty classy guy after all.

Justin Sun posted first though, calling CZ his “mentor, friend, and benefactor” and denying he knew anything about the rumors. “He has given me attention, guidance, and direction during my entrepreneurial process,” Justin Sun wrote. He said he fully trusts CZ and claimed his own company, T3FCU, has always worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice. “Together, we have handled a large number of important cases aimed at protecting global users and punishing illegal criminal groups around the world,” said Justin.

WSJ says Binance met Treasury officials to push for lighter rules

According to the Wall Street Journal, Binance executives went to Washington last month and met with officials from the U.S. Treasury Department. During the meeting, they asked for the removal of a government-appointed monitor who currently oversees the exchange’s compliance with anti-money-laundering laws. The monitor was put in place after Binance pleaded guilty in 2023 and agreed to pay $4.3 billion in penalties.

The Journal said this push to end oversight is part of a larger strategy to get Binance back into the U.S. crypto market. The company has been shut out for more than a year, and removing the monitor would be a first step toward reentering American territory. The article also said Binance was negotiating a deal with World Liberty Financial, the crypto firm owned by Trump’s family.

The connection between Binance and the Trump team reportedly started at a private crypto conference held in Abu Dhabi in December. The Journal said CZ was spotted in a VIP-only room—nicknamed “Whale Only”—where guests had to pay $10,000 just to enter.

Justin isn’t just a side character in the Journal’s report. He’s listed as World Liberty’s biggest outside investor and currently serves as an advisor to the company. The article said he put $75 million into the stablecoin project in February. Just weeks later, the Securities and Exchange Commission asked a court to pause a fraud lawsuit against him. The lawsuit, originally filed under the Biden administration, accused him of financial crimes.

People quoted in the Journal allegedly said the Justice Department had been investigating Justin for months. That was when the paper also claimed that CZ agreed to give evidence against Justin as part of his own plea deal with the government.

Justin Sun’s camp issued a direct email response, saying, “It is false to suggest that Tron enables criminal activity.” They also rejected all the claims in the Journal article. A spokesperson said, “We decline to comment on baseless allegations about legal matters.”

Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More