Two Senate Democrats are demanding clarity from the Justice Department over its sudden decision to abandon fraud charges against billionaire Gautam Adani, raising allegations that the Indian industrialist may have purchased his way out of a serious criminal case.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut sent a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche questioning the "reportedly 'transactional nature'" of the move to drop prosecution. The senators specifically want to know whether Adani promised a $10 billion U.S. investment in exchange for dismissal of charges that could have resulted in significant prison time.
Adani, founder of India's Adani Group conglomerate, was indicted in 2024 in Brooklyn on charges that he orchestrated a massive bribery and fraud scheme. Federal prosecutors alleged he and associates paid $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to secure lucrative contracts for Adani Green Energy to develop India's largest solar power plant, a project projected to generate $2 billion in profits over two decades. The same defendants were accused of defrauding U.S. and international investors through false statements used to secure funding.
The 63-year-old billionaire, once India's richest person with an estimated net worth exceeding $100 billion, has consistently denied all allegations against him and his company.
The reversal became official last month when Trent McCotter, principal associate deputy attorney general, and Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella filed a notice with U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis stating the office would not "devote further resources" to the case. Notably, the filing lacked signatures from the prosecutors who had handled the case, a procedural irregularity that caught the senators' attention.
What sparked the inquiry was timing. According to Warren and Blumenthal, the Justice Department's change of heart followed Adani's decision to hire Robert Giuffra, a personal attorney to President Donald Trump. "The DOJ's decision gives the appearance that Mr. Adani, with the help of one of the president's personal lawyers, bought his way to criminal immunity, trading the promise of an investment in the United States for immunity from an alleged multi-billion dollar bribery scheme," the senators wrote.
The senators also demanded to know whether the White House and Justice Department communicated about the case. They want answers by June 25, though with Republicans controlling Congress, pressure on the agency to respond remains limited.
This represents the second major legal retreat for Adani in recent months. In May, he settled a parallel civil fraud case with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $6 million without admitting wrongdoing. Separately, the Treasury Department announced a $275 million settlement with Adani Enterprises Ltd. for what it called "egregious" violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.
The Justice Department and Adani's legal team have not publicly addressed the senators' concerns. The charges remain pending before Judge Garaufis, who has not yet approved the dismissal request.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Whether Adani bought immunity or simply found better lawyers, the optics are poisonous for an administration already drowning in pay-to-play allegations."
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