Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has formally denied any knowledge of a quid pro quo arrangement regarding the United States Department of Justice's decision to drop criminal charges against him. In a sworn affidavit filed July 15 before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Adani stated he is not aware of any promise, offer, or agreement made in exchange for the dismissal of the indictment. This filing comes in response to a direct order from U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis, who requested clarification following public speculation about the case's resolution.
The legal proceedings began in November 2024, when the U.S. government indicted Adani and several associates on allegations of orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme to secure solar energy contracts in India. Adani has consistently denied these charges. By May 2026, the Department of Justice moved to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the charges cannot be refiled. The dismissal prompted intense scrutiny from the court, which sought to ensure that no improper deals influenced the government's decision.
Public interest in the case intensified due to reports linking the dismissal to a $10 billion investment pledge by the Adani Group in the United States. In his affidavit, Adani clarified that the investment plan was publicly announced in November 2024, prior to the indictment being unsealed. He further noted that while his legal team had discussed the investment as a potential part of a broader resolution, the Department of Justice explicitly informed them that the proposal would not be considered in the decision to seek dismissal.
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General R. Trent McCotter, who signed the motion to dismiss, has also rejected claims of a deal. McCotter stated that the decision was based on significant legal hurdles, including jurisdictional challenges and the lack of actionable evidence. The court is now reviewing the affidavit as it considers whether to finalize the dismissal of the case.