US Reportedly Drops Fraud Charges Against Adani After He Hired Trump’s Lawyer

The US Department of Justice is dropping fraud charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, Asia’s richest man, after he retained a legal team led by Donald Trump’s personal attorney, according to reports.

During an undisclosed meeting at the Justice Department in April, Trump’s lawyer Robert J. Giuffra Jr. stated that Adani would invest $10 billion in the US economy and create 15,000 jobs if prosecutors dropped the charges, according to The New York Times and Bloomberg.

Giuffra also presented a 100-slide presentation arguing that prosecutors lacked evidence and jurisdiction, the Times reported.

Prosecutors said the potential investment would not influence the case’s outcome, but the offer received a favorable response from one senior Justice Department official, the outlets reported.

Adani was accused of conspiring to pay $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials and misleading American and international investors with false statements. He and two other executives of an Indian renewable energy company were indicted in New York in November 2024 on multiple fraud counts.

At the time, the Justice Department stated that in addition to the bribes, Adani schemed “to lie to investors and banks to raise billions of dollars, and to obstruct justice.”

“These offenses were allegedly committed by senior executives and directors to obtain and finance massive state energy supply contracts through corruption and fraud at the expense of US investors,” said Lisa Miller, then deputy assistant attorney general.

Adani, founder of the Adani Group conglomerate that operates Indian ports, coal-fired power stations, and coal mines, is one of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful men. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he is Asia’s richest person with an estimated net worth of $104 billion.

He maintains close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose party members have granted Adani Group contracts enabling monopolization and expansion, sparking allegations of favoritism and “crony capitalism” — which the company denies. Journalists investigating the firm have faced harassment and legal charges.

Giuffra is co-chair of Sullivan & Cromwell, a prominent New York law firm. Shortly before Trump began his second term, Giuffra agreed to represent Trump in appeals of two personal cases, including the Stormy Daniels hush-money case.

The Justice Department and Sullivan & Cromwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment.