A caucus of six US Congressmen on Monday wrote a letter to newly appointed Attorney General Pamela Bondi demanding a review on the “questionable” decisions taken by the US department of Justice against Adani group during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Congressmen Lance Gooden, Pat Fallon, Mike Haridopolos, Brandon Gill, William R Timmmons and Brian Babin claimed that the indictment against Adani group “jeopardised the relationship with close ally India”
“Some of these decisions involved selectively pursuing and abandoning cases, often acting against America’s interests at home and abroad, jeopardizing relationships with close allies like India. This historical partnership and continuous dialogue between friends, however, was put at risk due to some unwise decisions by the Biden administration,” the Congressmen said in the joint letter.
“One such decision involves a questionable pursuit of a case against the Adani group, an Indian company whose executives are situated in India. This case rests on the allegation that preparations were made by members of this company in India to bribe Indian officials, also exclusively located in India. Instead of deferring the case to the appropriate Indian authorities, the Biden DOJ decided to push forward and indict the company’s executives without any real injury to US interests being present,” they added.
The Congressmen said there was no compelling reason to pursue a case in a manner that could complicate relations with an ally like India unless some external factors were at play.
“This misguided crusade came at the risk of harming our relationship with a strategic geopolitical partner like India immediately preceding President Trump’s return to the Oval Office.
“Considering President Trump’s commitment to revive America’s economic prosperity, our economic relationship with valuable partners from India and abroad works as an important factor in achieving that goal,” they said.
Earlier last year on November 20, 2024, US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani and several executives from his conglomerate, the Adani Group, with orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme aimed at securing contracts for solar power projects in India.
The DoJ indicted Adani, along with his nephew, Sagar Adani, and several associates. They are accused of orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme to secure lucrative green energy contracts in India. The charges include securities and wire fraud, alleging the Adani Group lied to US investors about its anti-bribery practices while engaging in widespread corruption.
In a strongly worded statement, the conglomerate rejected the allegations. “The charges made by the US Department of Justice and SEC against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied,” the group said, promising to fight the case vigorously.