Binance founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao denied any business ties or financial connections to the Trump family, following his pardon by the President last month.

In an interview with Fox News, Zhao said that he never negotiated any deals with Trump, his sons, or their associated crypto venture World Liberty Financial, nor did he expect the pardon to occur.

This story is an excerpt from the Unchained Daily newsletter.

“I did not know when or if it was going to happen… There was no indication of how far it went along, etc. Then, it happened one day,” said Zhao.

The pardon has triggered scrutiny from lawmakers, with some like Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters suggesting there might have been political favors or “pay-to-play” schemes.