Billionaire Gautam Adani on Wednesday submitted a sworn affidavit in a US court affirming that he was not aware of any quid pro quo offer that resulted in the US Department of Justice’s move to drop an indictment against him and his associates on bribery and fraud charges.
The affidavit was filed in response to a July 8 order by the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York asking Adani to state under oath whether he was aware of any promise, offer or agreement related to the dismissal of the indictment.
Adani says he was unaware of charges
In his affidavit, Adani acknowledged that he had publicly posted on X in November 2024 about the Adani Group’s plans to invest $10 billion and create 15,000 jobs in the US.
“When I made this post, the Indictment and SEC Complaint had not yet been unsealed and made public, and I was unaware of their existence,” he stated.
Also Read | Was there quid pro quo for case dismissal: US judge seeks reply from Adani by Jul 15
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | Was there quid pro quo for case dismissal: US judge seeks reply from Adani by Jul 15
{{/usCountry}}Adani also acknowledged that his legal counsel had suggested that his publicly-stated intent to invest $10 billion in the US might be part of a resolution of legal charges against him. However, Adani added that the Department of Justice had made clear that promises of investment in the US would not influence their decision to pursue legal charges. This was consistent with statements made by principal associate deputy attorney general Trent McCotter.
Judge questioned DOJ's reasons for dropping case
In 2024, the US Justice department filed an indictment against Adani alleging that the firm had been involved in bribing Indian officials in order to obtain solar power contracts and had subsequently engaged in securities fraud by misleading investors about the firm’s anti-corruption and anti-bribery efforts.
However, the US Department of Justice announced in June that it would decline to pursue further legal action against Adani and his associates. The decision sparked significant controversy with media reports suggesting that the Adani group’s offer to invest in the US played a key role in the Justice Department’s decision.
In May, the US Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) announced it would settle its civil lawsuit against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani subject to a court approval. The two agreed to pay a combined $18 million in penalties to settle the charges.
On June 26, District Judge Garaufis directed the Justice Department to provide the court reasons for dismissing the indictment after terming the department’s motion “terse, bland and conclusory.”
Although the Justice Department defended its decision to dismiss charges - citing little evidence for corruption found by Indian authorities and the largely foreign jurisdiction of the case - Garaufis directed Gautam Adani to submit a sworn affidavit affirming that he was not aware of any quid pro quo.
Lawyer cites DOJ email
Adani’s lawyer Robert Giuffra — who has represented US President Donald Trump in the past — also submitted a declaration, citing a May 2026 mail he received from Justice Department officials explicitly rejecting any offer of investment as a factor in the decision to pursue or not pursue charges.
“[T]he portion of the joint defense offer made by Gautam Adani, represented by Sullivan & Cromwell, Sagar R. Adani, represented by Nixon Peabody LLP and Hecker Fink LLP, and Vneet S. Jaain, represented by Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, to resolve the criminal charges against them by, in part, a general proposal to invest $10 billion in the United States is categorically rejected by this Office,” reads an excerpt of the email sent to Giuffra by Justice Department officials, cited in the former’s declaration.