WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department filed a formal request Saturday to have all charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani thrown out, arguing the case involves foreign conduct, carries little likelihood of winning at trial, and does not align with the agency’s current priorities.
U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis had directed prosecutors last month to explain why they wanted to walk away from the case. In response, the Justice Department submitted a 10-page court filing Saturday laying out its reasoning for seeking to dismiss all charges with prejudice against Adani and the other defendants named in the case.
The new filing characterizes the case — brought during the Biden administration — as having been built on shaky legal ground from the start. “The indictment was unsealed in the final days of the prior Administration, apparently as a ‘name and shame’ designed to levy accusations without any realistic prospect of a trial ever occurring,” the filing states.
The Justice Department further argued that U.S. attorneys should not be pursuing a “foreign case” involving conduct with no ties to criminal organizations, no U.S. companies, and no national security concerns. “The alleged ‘payments’ in this case were made by Indian nationals, working for Indian companies, to the Indian government, with no U.S. interests implicated in any way,” the filing reads.
Adani was originally charged in 2024 with allegedly agreeing to pay bribes to Indian government officials in order for a subsidiary of his Adani Group to receive approval to develop a solar energy facility. He was also accused of misleading American investors by providing false assurances about his company’s anti-corruption standards.
Adani Group has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and Adani himself has never appeared before a U.S. court to answer the charges.
This effort to end the Adani prosecution is part of a broader pattern seen during President Donald Trump’s second term, in which the Justice Department has moved to close out several notable white-collar criminal cases.
Legal experts note that judges have very limited authority to force prosecutors to continue pursuing cases they no longer want to bring. However, the charges against Adani will remain officially active until Judge Garaufis formally orders their dismissal.
