Representatives of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his companies have engaged in discussions with officials from the Trump administration, aiming to have criminal charges against him dismissed in an overseas bribery case, according to individuals familiar with the matter.
These discussions, which began earlier this year, have recently intensified. Some sources indicated that, if this momentum is maintained, the case might see a resolution in the coming month. One individual said Adani’s representatives are attempting to argue that the prosecution is inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s policy priorities and should be reconsidered.
A spokesperson for the Adani Group refused to comment on the matter. The White House and the Department of Justice also declined to respond to inquiries.
On Monday, the Mumbai stock market reflected the developments positively, with shares of Adani Group companies rising. Adani Enterprises Ltd., the group’s flagship company, jumped as much as 6.2%, marking its highest increase since January 16.
Following Trump’s election victory in November, the Biden administration unveiled an indictment against Gautam Adani, 62, and his nephew Sagar. Alongside it, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a parallel civil suit. At the time, prosecutors accused Adani of offering $250 million in bribes to regional officials in India in exchange for solar-power contracts. The Adani Group has denied all allegations.
Since the indictment, Adani—currently Asia’s second-richest individual—has taken multiple steps to influence U.S. authorities and avert a conviction, hoping to safeguard his global business interests from potential fallout. According to sources, intermediaries for the billionaire, who is known for his close association with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have contacted officials in India to obtain guidance on how best to approach the Trump administration, particularly as India and the U.S. seek to strengthen economic relations. Requests for comment from India’s Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of External Affairs went unanswered.
In the U.S., Adani has built a legal and lobbying team to champion his case. This team has been in contact with administration officials, according to the sources. One meeting reportedly took place in March involving prosecutors from both the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn and the main Justice Department.
Adani’s growing network in the U.S., which Bloomberg first highlighted in mid-February, has continued to evolve. Mark Filip of the law firm Kirkland & Ellis has emerged as a key representative in recent negotiations, according to some individuals. Adani also engaged BGR Group, a firm noted for its strong ties to the Trump administration. Senate lobbying records confirm that BGR currently represents India in trade negotiations with the Trump administration.
Neither the law firms nor individuals representing Adani in the U.S. provided comments or responded to messages regarding the case.
President Trump has previously voiced skepticism over the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), breaking from the stance taken by past administrations. The 1977 law has historically been used to prosecute both U.S. and foreign firms involved in bribing foreign officials. However, Trump has expressed concern that such prosecutions can damage American business interests.
In a February executive order, Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to pause FCPA-related actions until she issues updated enforcement guidance. “It’s going to mean a lot more business for America,” Trump said at the time.
Following this directive, certain FCPA cases have been dropped. One example was the Justice Department’s decision to dismiss a foreign bribery case against former executives at Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. These executives, who had denied any wrongdoing, had been set to go on trial in New Jersey over allegations they paid bribes to speed up a construction project in India.
However, the Trump administration’s efforts to interfere in another corruption prosecution—the case involving New York Mayor Eric Adams—sparked significant controversy. When the administration decided to drop charges against Adams related to alleged illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials, it led to resignations among several career prosecutors. A federal judge eventually allowed the charges to be dismissed, but did so “with prejudice,” which prevents the administration from re-filing them in the future. Adams has consistently maintained his innocence.
Despite Gautam Adani’s substantial net worth, estimated at around $70 billion, his business operations in the U.S. remain relatively limited. Nevertheless, just after Trump’s November election win and a few days before the Justice Department announced the charges, Adani publicly congratulated Trump on X (formerly Twitter) and pledged $10 billion in U.S. investments, promising to create over 15,000 jobs.
The Justice Department had filed the criminal charges against Adani under seal in October. These included allegations of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud. Interestingly, the case does not reference the FCPA. Instead, the Justice Department and SEC allege that Adani misled U.S. lenders by falsely claiming his companies complied with anti-bribery regulations.
While there has been little movement on the criminal side, the SEC continues to pursue its civil lawsuit. In a recent filing, the SEC indicated it is seeking assistance from Indian authorities to serve Adani and his nephew with its complaint and summons. If Adani manages to resolve the criminal case while only facing civil claims from the SEC, the potential legal and financial consequences in the U.S. would be significantly diminished.
Adani’s efforts to have the charges dropped reflect a broader trend in Washington, where individuals under investigation or already convicted have approached President Trump or his associates to seek dismissals, reversals, or clemency.
Already, Adani’s appeal has gained traction among several Republican lawmakers in Congress. A group of them has formally requested that Attorney General Bondi drop the criminal case and initiate a review of why federal prosecutors pursued it in the first place.
Meanwhile, Adani’s allies in the U.S. are also advocating for his business interests. Both Mark Filip and William Burck—a seasoned white-collar defense attorney from the law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan who previously represented Mayor Eric Adams—have officially registered to lobby on behalf of Adani’s companies.