U.S. Drops Criminal Charges Against Gautam Adani After Investment Pledge

The United States Department of Justice permanently dismissed all criminal securities and wire fraud charges against Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, on May 18, 2026. The charges, originally brought in November 2024, alleged a bribery scheme exceeding $250 million to secure solar energy contracts in India. Prosecutors requested the dismissal with prejudice in a New York federal court, stating that the department would not devote further resources to the case due to a lack of sufficient evidence and clear U.S. linkages.

The legal reversal follows a proposal by Adani to invest $10 billion into the U.S. economy and create 15,000 jobs, a deal negotiated by Robert J. Giuffra Jr., a personal lawyer to President Donald Trump. Parallel to the criminal dismissal, the Adani Group resolved two other federal matters. Gautam and Sagar Adani paid a combined $18 million to settle a civil fraud lawsuit with the Securities and Exchange Commission without admitting wrongdoing. Additionally, Adani Enterprises Limited paid $275 million to the Office of Foreign Assets Control to resolve 32 violations of Iranian sanctions involving the import of liquefied petroleum gas.

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being a compromised leader who bargained for Adani's release over national trade interests. Conversely, Republican Congressman Lance Gooden praised the resolution, claiming the previous administration had pursued the cases for political reasons. The Adani Group has consistently maintained that the original allegations were baseless.