Washington:
Six US Congressmen on Monday wrote to new Attorney General Pam Bondi and demanded a probe into the previous Department of Justice’s (DoJ) indictment of Adani Group officials. In November last year, the Adani Group had rejected as baseless the move by the DoJ under the Biden administration to name the conglomerate in a case of alleged wrongdoing.
In a strongly worded letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the six US lawmakers – Lance Gooden, Pat Fallon, Mike Haridopolos, Brandon Gill, William R Timmons and Brian Babin – said the previous DoJ’s action was a “misguided crusade” that came at the “risk of harming” America’s relationship with a “strategic geopolitical partner” like India.
They called it one of the “unwise decisions” by the Biden administration.
“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,” 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, they said.
“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,” they added.
They said that considering Donald Trump’s commitment to revive America’s economic prosperity, their economic relationship with “valuable partners” from India is an “important factor” in achieving that goal.
“Needless pursuits against those who have contributed tens of billions and created thousands of jobs deter and discourage investors from contributing to our economy. Considering these factors and the lack of any real injury to U.S. interests, the decision to pursue this indictment demonstrates more harm for America’s interests than good, if any,” they said.
The Congressmen said that the US and India share a sense of mutual respect and appreciation – a sentiment emulated by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“President Trump has always recognized the true potential of a strong and beneficial relationship between two economic and military superpowers like the US and India,” they wrote in a two-page letter.
“Conversely, politically motivated decisions by agencies steered by left-wing megadonors could quickly erode years of hard work and diplomacy forged by our leaders. A fallout in relations not only harms our longstanding partnership with a key ally but greatly benefits adversaries like China in their goal to eliminate the American economy and achieve total global economic control through their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” they said.
This “selective pursuit” by the Biden DoJ, despite knowing the possible outcomes of such a “reckless decision”, requires a second look, they said.
“We request you investigate the Biden DOJ’s conduct and would appreciate you sharing with us all records pertaining to this case, for a coordinated effort in uncovering the truth,” they said.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)